The Tale of the Raven and the Flower
by Nakoujou
Summary: After finding a heart-shaped necklace, two kids hunt down the Konoha 11 to hear their parts in the tale of Sasuke and Sakura falling in love after his return to Konoha."'The Tale of the Raven and the Flower' That's so Naruto to pick such a stupid name."
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Hey readers! This is my third story that I've written for naruto fanfiction. Please enjoy!

"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" Two little kids chirped continuously like there was no tomorrow to the blond man snoring on the couch. The blond man had his whole body laid everywhere on the couch, his legs on the armrest. His whisker-like face made the children giggle. He wore a long white cloak with red flames on it that sprawled everywhere. He did not budge. The children did not give up.

"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" They repeated again. The man fidgetted. He rolled to the other side, his back facing the kids who were threatening him to wake up. He curled up into a ball like a cat. The kids fought harder.

"UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE!"

"OH MY GOD CAN'T YOU TELL WHEN THE DARN HOKAGE IS HAVING HIS BEAUTY SLEEP?!" The man screamed suddenly, awoken from the constantly, repetitive word. The two kids smiled victoriously. He let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms wide up. The children giggled. Every little their uncle did always made them laugh. It was probably because their father always had the amusement of taunting him, even though their uncle was at a higher position than their father was.

Naruto opened his eyes and the first sight he saw was a young boy and a girl, both dark-haired, wide-eyed, only four and six respectively. They for some reason could not stand still. Their faces were lit up by some magical force, full of curiosity of whatever it was. Naruto couldn't help but smile at them. To him, it felt like just yesterday he was 12-years-old again in Team 7 with Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi doing simple missions like weeding the gardens. Now here he sat, 15 years later, as the Hokage of Konohagakure. Oh, how time flies. Naruto indeed felt more like an old man the more he spent times doing papers in his office.

He let out a big sigh. "Man, guys, you sure know how to annoy your super awesome uncle, who is SO much cooler than your daddy!" _Seriously, I can't believe these kids are __**his**__ children!_

"Yeah, right! Daddy can beat you up any day!" The boy exclaimed cheerfully as his sister nodded in agreement, both laughing. "He said so!"

"Hey, Sou-chan! You know deep down that I am SO MUCH BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER than your CHICKEN-HEAD DADDY!" Naruto argued back as he playfully attempted to tackle the boy and girl down.

They all laughed loudly. They always had fun with their uncle although the moments tend to be short. But this time, with their parents away for the week, they could have fun for seven nights, a record for them. After several minutes of chasing and throwing pillows at their uncle Naruto in the face ("I AM YOUR HOKAGE! BOW BEFORE THE PILLOW FIGHT CHAMPION!" he had loudly declared until a bunny pillow knocked him down), the three sat back down around the couch, still enjoying the moment. Naruto slouched in extreme tiredness. He let out a loud moan.

"We win! We win! We win! You lose! You lose! You lose!" The two kids chorused together, jumping up and down.

"Darn you rascals. You guys talk WAY too much to be your daddy's kids," Naruto said through lots of breaths. "Anyway, what did you guys want to bother me about?"

"This!" chipped the girl, who held out her hand. In her hand was a simple necklace with a large, red crystal shaped like a heart. The pendant shined beautifully against all the light in the room. Naruto looked at it, his blue eyes suddenly wide. He was stunned. _This is…_

"Oi Yuriko-chan, where did you guys find this necklace?" Naruto asked her.

"This morning! In the forest near our house! It looked too pretty to just be there." Yuriko answered obediently. "Do you know who's its from?"

Naruto chuckled. An idea had lit in his mind. He sprang his hands around them. "Come around, you guys, I have a story to tell you."

"Does it have to do with the necklace?" Sou asked curiously.

Naruto grinned. "Yep, yep! I know _everything_ about this little guy! And it's all gonna be true!"

"YAY!" The two kids cheered and took a seat next to their uncle Naruto looking up to him. They could not sit still, too curious for him to start. This made Naruto smile. He decided to put a spin on a few things, keep them paying attention and curious.

"Once upon a time, there was a teenage boy called Raven-"

"Raven? What kind of stupid name is that?" Yuriko spat in disgust. "I thought you said it was true!"

"Shut up or do you not want to hear the story?!" Naruto yelled, annoyed. They both shook the heads.

"Anyway, Raven was a traitor to Konoha. He had left the village earlier out of vengeance and power. When he had completed his revenge, he decided to return to Konohagakure thinking that he was going to get it easy after betraying the village. But he didn't. All the villagers looked at him differently, not wanting to even talk to him anymore. To them, he was a traitor and despised nothing more. And Raven sure acted the part. He was distant, quiet, emotionless, arrogant, not wanting anything but to train all day, MEAN, COLD-HEARTED BUTT HOLE, HATES SWEET THINGS FOR GOD KNOWS WHY, AND HAS HAIR THAT LOOK LIKES A CHICKEN BUTT!" Naruto had suddenly ranted, making the children laugh.

"Everybody thought he was going to be like that forever, until when springtime came, something happen." Naruto stopped, smiling. He always wanted to do a dramatic pause. And it was sure about to work.

"What? What? What? What?" Sou and Yuriko repeated over and over again. After what seem like a minute, Naruto answer:

"Raven was acting strange all around a certain girl named Flower."

The two kids' jaws dropped. "Why?"

"Did he like her? Hate her?"

"Was he in 'like-like' with her?"

"Why is her name Flower?"

"Is this really a true story?" And the kids again rambled on their questions to him.

Naruto couldn't help but grin cheesily at them. "And that's why we shall begin 'The Tale of the Raven and the Flower'…"

I hope you guys enjoyed my 3rd story! Sorry I wrote this instead of finishing up the previous one! But I just had the urge to write it and couldn't stop! Anyway, please read and review!


	2. The Return of the Uchiha

Chapter 1: The Return of the Uchiha

It had been over two weeks since Uchiha Sasuke returned from exile. A missing-nin for four years, Sasuke had grown tremendously. His statue now stood almost 6 feet, his clothing choice preferring a sleeveless black tank and dark capries, and overall, his body matured to look just as handsome, if not more, than ever. The whole village was in shock to find the missing-nin come through their streets with a giant bag in his hands. It was only when he reached the Hokage's office that inside the bag, they discovered it to be the heads of Orachimaru and Uchiha Itachi. Tsunade had given him the utmost look of surprise and anger at him. He made it all much more complicated. Her first decision was the give him a full punishment: Jail for the rest of his life and possibly, the death sentence. But the disgusting heads on her desk changed everything. After much pondering, Tsunade had decided that he would not be allowed to leave the Konoha grounds for a whole entire year and complete 100 hours worth of community service, which Sasuke had obeyed without a fight.

The whole Team 7 had burst through the door, almost after his sentence was proclaimed. Naruto had cursed at Sasuke numerously times, attempted to punch him at any possible chance if Tsunade had not stopped him, then gone to man-hug him like there was no tomorrow. Sasuke did not react to any of this, remaining quiet the whole entire time. He looked at the rest of his former teammates. Kakashi stood by the door, watching the scene with a soft expression. Kakashi looked just the same as Sasuke had left. His Konoha headband covering his left eye along with his mask, wearing the jounin jacket, and still gray-haired as ever. Naruto was still bright with orange clothes and blonde hair, but had grown taller. The two now stood only an inch apart, Sasuke being the taller one.

Then he turned to face the last one: Sakura. He turned his attention to her. She changed physically. Her long, pink hair grew since he last saw her. Her body had began to form curves in all the right places according to Konoha's teenage boys. Her face though much slimmer than as a child, her jade eyes still retained the same innocence just as before. Indeed, Sakura had grown beautiful. She was so beautiful, Sasuke couldn't wait for pin her against a bed and ravage her-

* * *

"Uncle Naruto, how do you ravage someone on the bed?" Sou had just asked innocently.

Naruto grinned slyly. "Well, well, well, boy, wouldn't you like to know?" Of course, Naruto knew that was not the first thing Sasuke thought of, but it was his story, not Sasuke's. Then again, it wasn't like Sasuke never did have fun with Sakura under the sheets eventually. There was living proof. Literally.

"Anyway, don't interrupt my awesome story! Back on!"

* * *

She had grown, Sasuke took note. Jade eyes met black orbs. No one was sure what to say, or who was to say something first. Sakura just looked at him in awe. There barely a foot away from her was her one-time crush. And she convinced herself that she would never fall for him again. And now here he was once again in her life. She took a deep gulp.

_Sasuke-kun is back..._.She thought_...But why?_

She felt uncomfortable under his stare. Sasuke never did that to her before. If she was 12-years-old again, she would have fainted at the idea of him staring at her for longer than a second. But she wanted his eyes away from her. Memories and thoughts rushed throughout her head, not sure of what to do at the moment.

Sasuke finally broke his silence, to the shock of everybody in the room at the first word he said:

"Sakura."

Her fingers trembled. She bit her lips. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she frowned.

"Good to see you again, Sasuke."

And the world froze for a moment.

* * *

"Did the world _really_ freeze?" Yuriko asked curiously, wide-eyed. "Why did the world freeze if she just said that?"

"Now you must understand, kids. In the past, Flower always called him Raven_-kun_," Naruto allowed himself to explain despite being annoyed of the kids' interrupting thoughts. "She always added the 'kun' to show much she loved him. She never added it to anybody else name. Just Raven's."

"So when I get a boyfriend, I should add a 'kun' too?" Yuriko asked once again, a blush creeping across her face. The way she looked was so familiar to Nauto, like it was a childhood memory.

"Of course you should!" Naruto exclaimed too cheerfully. _If you ever get one without your bastard daddy killing him._

"Anyway, when he returned, she left the 'kun' part out. Why, well let's just say it might have had an effect on Raven. But no one would ever realize until..."

* * *

Sakura had yet to see him for the second time even after two weeks. And she preferred it that way. She decided to keep herself as busy as she could at the hospital, hoping to avoid any contact with Sasuke. She made sure to take any shifts available, morning to to the very latest hours of night. She wasn't sure why she was going this to herself. It made her very tired by the end of each day, if not, many days. She got easily sleep-deprived, told by many people that she looked tired than ever. She would only shake it away, continuing to help her patients. She was sure she was not in love with Sasuke. Ever. But the way he had stared at her...

"No, it's been four years, why the hell would I think of him capable of such a thing?" Sakura told herself, a slight hint of pink across her face.

Uchiha Sasuke was not capable of love. She was sure of that. Yes, he murdered the men behind his unhappy life, but it was going to take quite a while, if ever, for Sasuke to even be unrecognizable to her. Then, the scene of a nice, romantic Sasuke leaning in to kiss her suddenly appeared in her mind. She squeaked at the thought of it.

_No! No! No! Why did I think of Sasuke-kun like that?! I'm so stupid! You're over him, girl!_ She mentally said to herself.

As she kept battling among herself in her mind, she bumped into someone, causing all the papers in her arms to fly everywhere. She panicked.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I-I-oh no, the files!" she groaned as she began picking them up, not even bothering to look at the other person.

As she was reaching for a piece, another hand beat her to it. He placed it in her hand, making her blush at his touch. She looked up. It was a boy her age with long brown hair. He was tanned and had brown eyes. He wore the Konoha headband and a green ninja outfit. He flashed a smile at her, which she did in return.

"Nice to see you again, Sakura-chan," the boy greeted. Suddenly, her face lit up as well.

"Ah, Satoshi! I haven't seen you in a while!" She replied, getting up after gathering all the papers. She first met him a few months back, after he had gotten injured on a mission. He was once her patient where she healed him. She remembered always having conversations with him during his stay at the hospital and always enjoyed it thoroughly. He was a nice friend to her. It had been a while since she last saw him.

"How have you been?" Sakura asked him.

"Um, pretty well. I just finished this mission and now I'm just relaxing. Not sure what to do now," Satoshi answered, scratching his head. "Y-you look good today, Sakura-chan."

"Oh, um, thank you, Satoshi," She said humbly, another hint of pink on her face. She always had this idea that Satoshi had a small crush on her, even though Sakura herself knew she would not return it. Sakura was sure when during his hospital stay, he would blush during the examinations. She would ask him to take off his shirt, smirk at if Sakura liked his body, and she would continue to ignore her as she trailed his back, making him the one nervous. He would flirt with her here and then, but Sakura refused to not tell him no. He was cute to her, and sometimes it was funny.

"Sakura-chan, you look really tired," Satoshi stated. "Have you been working a lot?"

"Oh, um, yeah. I've just been really busy," Sakura lied, though she knew it was not the real reason she pressured herself to take all the shifts. "I guess it's cause I don't have much to do when I get home, so why not bother to help out people?"

"Well, maybe you should take a break and enjoy yourself," Satoshi replied, smiling. "You can't help people if you aren't helping yourself."

"That's true, but what is there to do?" Sakura asked, forming a small smile.

"Well, that's kinda why I came here, Sakura-chan," He said, scratching the back of his head.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?"

Sakura looked at him with wide eyes. Her face turned slightly pink, matching her hair color. "Oh, um, Satoshi, I dunno-"

"Aw, please. It's just one night. You need to relax, Sakura-chan. Please?" He looked at her with puppy eyes. She couldn't help but think it was cute of him. But she didn't like him. If only his hair was darker and his skin was paler and his eyes were deep, black orbs instead of brown-

Sakura stopped herself. Reality hit her. She really needed a break. She was exhausted from all the work. She worked even she wanted to, and for what? After a few moments she smiled.

"Yes, I would like that, Satoshi-kun."

A wide smile spreaded across Satoshi's face from cheek to cheek. "Great! I'll pick you up tonight at 7! We'll go to Abame's!" He exclaimed in excitement. Then he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. Sakura blushed. He left the building, waving goodbye to her. Sakura sighed. It was only one night. It wasn't like there was going to be more.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to spend some free time," She said to herself.

"WHOA DID YOU SEE THAT SASUKE-TEME! SAKURA-CHAN'S GOING ON A DATE!" Sakura heard a loud, hyper voice screamed in shock.

She turned around, where her eyes laid on the sight of the blond owner of the voice. Naruto's mouth was shaped like an "o," his face in shock. She was embarassed that Naruto had seen the whole thing.

_Wait, did he say 'Sasuke-kun?_' Sakura looked the second one, and felt her heart stop beating for a moment.

There next to Naruto was a fuming Sasuke, his face boiling. And what scared Sakura the most was that his eyes were no longer black, but red, looking for more blood.

* * *

Yuriko's and Sou's expression were priceless.

"He's...._jealous_!" They both exclaimed excitedly. Naruto nodded.

"Yep, yep. Of course, Raven would forever deny it until the date came..."

"What happened at the date?" Sou asked eagerly.

There was a long pause. The two kids were shaking, nearly bouncing their bodies up and down on the couch. After a long time, Naruto let out a yawn. "Boy, am I tired! Hey, kids, its past your bedtime. Your mommy is going to kill me with her scary fist if I don't put you guys to bed now."

"Awww..." they groaned, now angry at their uncle.

"Will you tell us the story tomorrow night?" said Yuriko.

"Man, I don't think so, Yuriko-chan. I'm going to a meeting tomorrow night, and it might take FOREVER considering it's those ugly elders," Naruto moaned. There was just some things that he did not like about being Hokage.

"B-b-but, we want to finish to story! NOW!" Sou complained.

"Hey, I'm not the only one who knows the story! Here, I'll show you this!" Naruto exclaimed as he pulled out a photo frame from the nearest table he could find. He handed it to the two kids, as they looked at it, confused. It was a group of teenagers all together, probably 12 of them. They all looked different, yet looked like they were the happiest of the moment with the exception of two kids, one with jet-black hair and one with long-brown hair and white eyes. Naruto pointed to the boy with white eyes, unsmiling. Then, his fingers moved to another person. It was a girl with two buns. She wore a Chinese outfit and had chocolate eyes.

"All of these people in the picture know the story. You find them all, you finish the story," Naruto explained. "But to get the real deal, you gotta go in order. That's why you gotta go find these two first. They're the Hyuugas. They know the next part really well, better than I do."

"So it's like a scavenger hunt?" Sou asked.

"Yep!"

"YAY! A GAME!" The two cried, not being able to contain their excitement. Within a few minutes, Naruto had managed to place the two in bed as they fell asleep, eager to begin the next day. Naruto closed the door behind him and went into his bedroom. there sitting on the bed was a pale woman with white eyes. She had long, dark hair tied into a messy bun and was wearing a blue kimono. In her arms was a small baby and a milk bottle. The baby sported blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes just like Naruto. The sight in front of the Hokage made him smile. Naruto took off his cloak and took a seat near the woman. He kissed her on the cheek.

"How's our little Minato?" He asked, poking his son as Minato laughed.

"He refused to sleep until you come in, if I might say," Hinata replied kindly. She took away the bottle and handed him to Naruto. Naruto held his son, swaying him back and forth. Minato giggled as he watched his father make funny faces.

"I heard you telling the kids about Sasuke and Sakura."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, it's a good bedtime story for them."

"Did you really have to use the names 'Raven' and 'Flower', out of all the possibilities?" Hinata joked. Naruto placed an arm around her wife, as they stared into their son.

"Oh come on, you know why I can't tell them it's Sasuke and Sakura; They'll figure it who they are in like in a second, Hinata-chan!" Naruto argued back like a child. "Besides, it keeps them entertained, those kids. And when they do..."

Naruto whispered into Hinata's ears, making her giggle. As the Uzumaki family were enjoying their peaceful moment together, the two kids next door slept well, waiting for the morning rays of sunshine to come as quickly as it could.


	3. The Date at Abame's

Chapter 2: The Date At Abame's

The kids woke up that morning practically at sunrise. They jumped up and down on their chairs as their Aunt Hinata fed them breakfast while carrying her baby. Naruto had already left for a meeting that would take him the whole entire day. Yuriko and Sou asked their aunt where the Hyuugas lived, and she was more than happy to answer their question. She went to the window and pointed to a large manor to the west of the village.

"The Hyuugas will be there. It'll probably an hour walk away from here," Hinata explained.

The kids moaned. "A whole hour? That's gonna take _forever_!" Hinata laughed at the innocence of the two kids. A part of her couldn't wait til she had to deal with her son Minato just like this.

And so that morning the kids walked a whole hour to the Hyuuga mansion. The mansion was gigantic, probably bigger than their house. It was a styled the traditional Japanese way, but nonetheless, still beautiful and elegant. A young boy around six walked out to greet them. He had long brown hair in a pony tail and wide, white eyes. Yuriko blushed when she saw him.

"Ah, Koichi! Ohayou!" She greeted, smiling widely. Hyuuga Koichi smiled in return at the two.

"Ohayou Yuriko, Sou, what are you guys doing here?" He replied.

"We want to talk to your mommy and daddy. They have a story to tell us!" Sou explained excitedly.

"A story? Really? I wanna hear too!"

"Then come along and take us to them!" And Koichi agreed. So he led them into a room, were on the ground sat a man and a woman. The man had long brown hair and pale, white eyes. He wore a plain brown kimono made. Next to him was the woman who wore her brown hair in a bun. Unlike her husband, she had brilliant chestnut-colored eyes and a more tanner complexion. She wore a red, silky kimono that made her look beautiful. She smiled at her son and the two kids next to him.

"Ada, Koichi-chan, what brings your friends over?" Koichi's mother asked, motioning the kids to sit by them. Her husband acknowledged them with only a nod.

"Mother, Yuriko and Sou say that you guys know of a story," Koichi explained obediently.

"Yeah. Uncle Naruto said you guys know the next part of "The Tale of the Raven and the Flower!'" Sou said.

The husband and wife looked at him confused. "The Tale of what?"

And so, Yuriko and Sou took their time to tell what their Uncle Naruto told them, starting from Raven's return to Konoha to Flower being asked out on a date. After they finished their story, Mrs. Hyuuga laughed as her husband merely smirked.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes! We know that story! Ne, ne, Neji-kun, sweetie, let's have a story time with them!" Tenten proposed. Neji let out a sigh. "Have it your way."

"Yes, okay! So where did you guys leave off? Oh yea, after Raven heard about Flower going on a date! Well, as the date was approaching fast, Raven knew he had to do something. He was not sure why, but the feeling came to him. That is why 30 minutes before the date happened..."

* * *

Team Gai had just finished an exhausting week-long mission. Their sensei Gai had proposed that the three, Neji, Tenten, and Lee, should go to Abame's and relax. He had already arranged a table for them so it was on him. Excited at the idea of not only a free dinner but also a team bonding, they went that night. At the restaurant, Lee was quick to burst into a speech about the Power of Youth that he rambled on for hours. Not wanting to deal with their teammate's speech about pointless stuff, Tenten and Neji agreed to leave him at a random table where people were actually interested in his lecture. They went to look for a different booth, despite the place being crowded. Neji sighed. He was really hungry and loved the idea of free food, even though he considered his family to be quite wealthy. Suddenly, Tenten tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey Neji-kun, isn't that... Uchiha?" Tenten whispered. Neji turned around. Indeed it was.

There sitting at a table all by himself was none other than Uchiha Sasuke. He had heard about his return to Konoha though never got a chance to actually see him. The memory of him, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Naruto, and Kiba chasing after him resurfaced. A flame began to grow in his head. He would never forgive Sasuke for all the pain they went through. Neji headed towards him as Tenten quietly followed.

"I hope these seats aren't taken, Uchiha?" Neji asked Sasuke, who flinched at the sound of his name. Sasuke frowned. He found no delight in seeing the boy after four years.

"Hyuuga."

"You got a lot of guts coming back here after your little stint with Orochimaru."

"Go away."

"Are you expecting anybody?"

"Why don't you find a table for just you and your girlfriend?" Sasuke said, annoyed. His eyes leaving Neji.

"I am _not_ his girlfriend!" Tenten barked, blushing. The two noticed Sasuke was not paying attention to them at all. He was looking at another direction. They turned to the same way. Neji smirked.

Haruno Sakura had just entered the restaurant. With a boy. They found a table far from the three and sat down. Neji turned back to look at the dark hair boy. His expression had slightly changed. He looked more annoyed than he was at Neji. The Hyuuga saw Sasuke's fist tighten slightly. He activated his Byaguukan, checking his chakra points.

_Raised blood levels, storing higher amounts of chakra to his hands, twitched eyebrows._..Neji couldn't enjoy this more. Uchiha Sasuke was jealous.

* * *

"He really is jealous!" Yuriko and Sou exclaimed cheerfully.

"Hai, hai. Raven never said it, but you could clearly tell from his actions," Tenten grinned.

"No you couldn't Tenten. It was nearly impossible unless you had a Byaguukan," Neji argued slightly.

"Go back to drinking your tea, mister, and shut up!" She growled. Neji obeyed. "Anyway, on with the story!"

* * *

To Sasuke's dismay, both Neji and Tenten took the seats across from him. Sasuke scowled. "Shouldn't you be with fuzzy eyebrows-what's his face?"

"He's not important at the moment. Something much more entertaining just came up," Tenten stated. "Sakura-chan's looks really pretty tonight. Don't you think?"

Sasuke still had his smug look. "I haven't seen her yet."

"Then stop staring at her then, Uchiha," Tenten smirked. Sasuke glared at her. He looked like he wanted to chug all her thousand weapons right into her throat.

She leaned to Neji's ears, whispering, "Neji-kun, I've never seen him like this. Should we do something about this?"

Neji nodded, a smirk coming across his face. This should be fun, considering it was Sasuke that was the subject. Neji and Tenten dared not turn around to avoid being caught by Sakura. Silently, Neji activated his Byaguukan once again to watch Sakura from behind. She was engaged in a conversation with the boy. They were talking lively. The boy said a joke. She forced out a laugh. Neji noticed a change in Sasuke's body. It was heating up again. A sign of anger or annoyance.

"He's seems like a good boy. Is he Sakura's boyfriend?" Neji asked, hoping to get a reaction. He did. According to Uchiha standards. Sasuke returned his attention back to the Hyuuga just to give him a death glare. Another one of Sakura's laugh rang into Sasuke's ears. His attention was brought back to the pink-hair girl.

"So Uchiha, interesting how you just coincidentally come to Abame's the same time Sakura has a date," Tenten asked. "What do you think about that?"

There was a moment of silence. Sasuke turned to look at Tenten.

"Just like how you and Hyuuga coincidentally leave bowl head. Just the two of you together." He smirked.

Tenten's face was almost as red as a tomato. He was starting to piss her off. She was not going to let this kid get to her.

"Why are you here?"

No reply.

"Fine, let me make it more clear: Why are you stalking Sakura on her date?"

No reply.

"Do you plan on seducing her? Sleeping with her? Killing her?" No reply. Her cheeks puffed, slightly annoyed that no response was coming out of him.

"Do you love Sakura?"

She thought for a moment Sasuke's face twitched for a moment.

"So you're not denying it."

Sasuke didn't want to listen to Neji's little girlfriend or whatever she was to the Hyuuga. All he saw was Satoshi accidentally spilling Sakura's drink apologizing, then going up to go get another cup of water for Sakura. Satoshi's hands was oddly deep into her cup. Sasuke concentrated on him. Tenten was getting frustrated. Before she could say a word, a voice beat her to it.

"That's alright, Tenten. It's okay of Uchiha doesn't want to admit what he really thinks of Haruno," Neji said, smirking. Sasuke gritted his teeth. He didn't know which one he wanted to kill more: Satoshi or Hyuuga. It was too hard to choose. He could always do both but-

Sasuke's eyes averted back to where Sakura was. He saw her pick up the cup Satoshi had given to her, nearing it to her mouth. Sasuke stood up instantly, ran to them, knocked the cup away from her, then beat the bloody pulp out of Satoshi, finally confessed his true love to her, then the two ran away and locked the bedroom door behind them-

* * *

"Tenten, that did not happen, and seriously, they're only kids," Neji grunted, embarrassed by the perverted mind his wife displayed for the children. Tenten giggled with a guilty touch.

"Aww but wouldn't it be cute if that actually happened?" Tenten asked.

"Not like they did it eventually," Neji muttered before sipping his tea.

"Mommy, what would you do in a bedroom?" Koichi asked his mother.

"Yeah! I thought you just sleep in there!" Sou exclaimed.

"Oh, you funny kids! Well, what a man and woman likes to do is-"

"Tenten! Do you not know how old they are"

"Fine, fine, Neji-kun! You're no fun!" She pouted. "Sorry about that, but what really happened..."

* * *

Sasuke actually did stand up abruptly. He actually did rush to them and knock the cup out of her arms. What didn't happen was the rest. instead, the cup of water spilled everywhere on the table and on Satoshi's shirt. The two were in shock at the presence of Uchiha Sasuke. Sakura just stared at him, completely stunned. His face was so calm, like it always was. Then, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes glowered.

"What the hell was that for?!" Sakura yelled at him. Everyone in the restaurant was now looking at them. Sasuke didn't she didn't even see the slightest movement of his mouth, she groaned.

"You got something to say about this?!" She asked, threatening. She saw no response from him. This was unforgivable. Why was he here in the first place? Why was he doing this to her? And for heaven's sakes, why wasn't he talking to her at all? She groaned.

"You know what? If this is what happened to you after four years, then I won't stand it! Ugh!" Sakura shouted angrily. She never expected him to act so...strange. She turned her heel, heading for the exit. Satoshi panicked.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, where are you going?"

"I'm sorry Satoshi, I just can't be around Uchiha!" She said bitterly before leaving Abame's. When her figure disappeared into the darkness, Satoshi's expression quickly changed into annoyance. He turned to look at Sasuke. He tightened his fist.

"What the hell was that about, Uchiha? You can't go butting into our date!" Satoshi yelled. "Just cause she's one of the only girls not obsessed with you doesn't mean you had a right to make sure she still was!"

Immediately, Satoshi felt his body slam into the wall. Sasuke's fist was on his chest as Satoshi let out a cough. He saw red eyes on Sasuke, the first time he ever saw the Sharingan.

"And you had no right to mess with her drink."

Tenten and Neji had puzzled looks. Tenten leaned down to where Sakura's cup had spilled, dipping a finger into a tiny amount of the water. She licked a bit of it, her eyes suddenly wide. She spat it out.

"It's salty."

Neji's face immediately tightened. "Date rape drug." ("Poison, children," Neji had said instead to avoid them asking them what "rape" was to "sex" to his wife going perverted.)

Satoshi gulped as he felt his shirt nearly rip from his chest. Sasuke's hold on him grew tighter each second. His Sharingan eyes had yet to leave, still looking dangerously red like blood.

"I knew when I first saw you all you wanted was a good time from her. You pathetic excuse of a ninja."

Satoshi let out a loud scoff. A wide grin came to his face.

"I'm pathetic? How about we take a look at you, traitor! You were the one who left Konoha for Orochimaru. Now you're suddenly back! How do we even know that you're not secretly spying on us, giving information from the inside?" Satoshi growled, pissing Sasuke off. "You have no reason to come back nor are you welcome; you're just like Itachi."

Immediately, Satoshi felt a fist reach his left cheek, knocking him down to the ground. He coughed out small amounts of blood. He wiped it away, looking angrily at his attacker. But his expression soon changed into fear. Sasuke suddenly looked more vicious than ever. His Sharingan looked different than before. More violent, more dangerous. It was as if Satoshi could his own dead body in Sasuke's eyes.

"Don't ever speak his name, you son of a bitch," Sasuke spoke darkly. "Get out of here."

Satoshi nodded, his whole body shaking. He got himself up and immediately dashed out of the restaurant. That would be the last Tenten, Neji, and Sasuke would see of him again. The manager had come up to them, complaining about the mess they made. The three immediately left the building, standing outside. Just as Sasuke was about to turn, he was stopped.

"Just as a minute there, Uchiha," Neji spoke. Sasuke paused. His back was still facing the two.

"That little stint there. You're going to be in some deep shit now with someone, if you aren't already."

"I'm not scared of the Godaime."

"I'm not talking about Godaime-sama."

Neji saw Sasuke's fingers slightly move. Both of them were aware of what Neji was talking about. He took a deep sigh. Neji always knew the Uchiha was stubborn, but not this much. Especially considering it was surrounded a certain pink-hair girl. He wanted to get another reaction out of him again. He glanced to Tenten, who seem to know what was going on his mind. She nodded.

"You owe Sakura an apology..." Tenten said, biting her lips. "And the truth about Satoshi."

Sasuke stood there silently. After a few minutes, the darkness cosumed him as his figure disappeared into it.

* * *

Yuriko, Sou, and Koichi stared at Mrs. Hyuuga intensely. They were impatiently waiting for the next words.

"Well? Did he tell her?" Koichi asked.

"Did he confess his love to her yet?" Yuriko asked with hope.

"Did he do that thingy in the bedroom?" Sou asked in an innocent and hyper voice.

Tenten laughed. Oh, how great they were, these kids. "Yes and no. All of those came much later. There's a huge possibility that Raven never told Flower about the poison in order to protect her. He never wanted her hurt in anyway and didn't mind if she was angry at him. As long as she was safe, he was alright."

"So what happens next?"

Tenten shrugged. "I don't know. You have to go ask someone else."

"Aw!' The three kids moaned. Yuriko took out the photo her Uncle Naruto gave to her of the Rookie Nine. She handed it to Tenten and Neji, both giving her puzzled looks. "Where did you get this?"

"Uncle Naruto gave it to us. He said all the stories go in order by each person," Yuriko explained. "Who knows the next part?"

Tenten and Neji examined it closely. After a few seconds, a smile lit up on Tenten's face and she showed it to the kids. Her finger was next to a man wearing a giant hood. Next to him was a giant white dog.

"His name is Inuzuka Kiba. You'll find him on the South side of Konoha, where he trains the dogs. It's about a 40 minute walk," Tenten explained, handing the photo back to Yuriko.

"More walking?! It took forever to get here though!" Sou complained.

"Then you better get started, neh kids?" Tenten teased.

Yuriko and Sou gave their thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga for the story and said their goodbyes. As the figures of the two kids disappeared, Tenten smiled and leaned against her husband's shoulder.

"Oh, how times have passed," Tenten said, staring at the sky. "Do you think Sasuke-san ever told her?"

Neji shook his head. "He always did care Sakura-san the most, even if he never shows it."

Tenten laughed. "You never heard him mention any feeling to her in the last few years?!"

"Have you?" Neji asked. Tenten suddenly blushed, embarassed.

"Well...once?"

"Tenten, the wedding does not count."

She sighed. "Fine, but why does that matter?! It's all Naruto's fault! 'The Tale of the Raven and the Flower?' That's so Naruto to pick such a stupid name."

Neji chuckled. It was indeed typical of Naruto, especially icause it was all about about the Hokage's best friend falling in love with the Cherry Blossom of Konohagakure.

* * *

I hope you guys like my story so far! Please review and tell me what you guys think! I really love feedback :)


	4. A Small Fight

Chapter 3: A Small Fight

After a long walk to the south of Konohagakure, Yuriko and Sou arrived at a luscious, forest-like area. The saw a huge house surrounded by fences. Within the fences were various kinds of dogs, ranging from big to small, different colors. They looked at all the dogs in excitement, eager to play with them. The closer they reached the house, they noticed a man around the dogs. He was wearing a giant black hoodie, leaning down to feed the animals. Noticing people coming closer to him, the man glanced and stopped his actions. He looked at the two kids and smirked. I haven't seen these kids since they were babies...

"Oh, lemme guess: Yuriko and Sousuke, right?" The man asked, standing up. The kids looked at him wide-eyed, surprised that he knew their names.

"Ah! How do you know?!" Sou asked with a hyper voice, as nobody ever called him by his full name except when his parents were angry at him. "Have we met before?"

"You guys were too young to remember me, but please! Anybody could tell whose kids you were just by looking at you!" The man laughed as a giant white dog ran to them. The dog looked at the two kids for a moment, then approached them. He snuggled against Yuriko's body as she giggled from the touch. She bent down to ruffle with his fur, smiling.

"Wow, such a big dog!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "And there's so many! Ne, you're Mr. Inuzuka, right?"

Kiba nodded. Akamaru left Yuriko for his owner as the three made their way to an empty part of the fields where a nice scenery of the trees and grass were displayed afar from them. The two kids sat on the ground alongside Akamaru, who enjoyed licking them occasionall. Upon hearing the happiness yet calmness in the children's laughter, Kiba smiled. Those two are really glad to have these kids in their lives after all they've been through....

"Anyway, what brings you here?" He asked them.

"Ah, of course! We want to hear the next part of 'The Tale of the Raven and the Flower!'" Sou exclaimed.

Kiba looked at them dumfounded. "The Tale of the what?"

And once again, Yuriko and Sou gone off to tell what they have heard from the preceding members of the Konoha 12 about a boy named Raven returning to Konoha, according to their Uncle Naruto. Kiba had a sweat drop on his forehead. He cringed.

_Why is Sasuke 'Raven?' Seriously, Naruto, you're the darn Hokage; come up with better names!_ As the children continued on about the date, Kiba's eyes widen and he gasped.

"He spied on a date? No wonder she was so mad at him that day," Kiba suddenly interrupted."Makes a lot of sense now."

"What day? What day? Tell us what happened!" The two kids pressured him on with too intense curiosity. Kiba sighed.

"I don't think I should have been there, but one day, I saw Sa-_Raven_, I mean," Kiba caught himself, embarassed at the substitute of names. It sounded so weird and ravens had nothing to do with Sasuke. Then again, at least Naruto didn't call him the traitor-who-was-so-cold-he-left-Konohagakure-cause-he-was-a-power-seeking-monster. They were just kids anyway.

"Anyway, I was at the training grounds when I noticed..."

* * *

Kiba moaned under the hot, burning sun. He had just came back from a mission and wanted to play around with Akamaru. But the day grew hotter and finally he decided to just take a nap on the training grounds, where it was peaceful at the moment. He looked up at the cloudless sky and sighed.

"Damn, I need some shade, too hot," He moaned, forcing himself to stand up though all he wanted to do was just lay for hours. He slowly walked to where all the lush trees were, with plenty of shade. He smiled in relief and fell to the ground. He let out a deep breath. he felt refreshed.

"At last!" He cried. But just as his eyes began to close, a loud noise came to his ears. His instincts got him to crouch up. He sniffed. Chakra. Two of them. Both were incredibly familiar but one of them, he hadn't felt in a long time. He walked to where the sound was and hid behind a bush. Through a small opening, Kiba leaned to see what was going on. His eyes flew wide open. There on the training grounds was a boy his age with spikey, black hair. He could only see the back but he was quick to know who it was.

Sasuke.

He bit his lips. It had been a while since he had seen him, and the rumors were indeed true of his returning. But why? Kiba then glanced to the figure across from Sasuke. It was a petite girl in a red outfit. Pink hair.

Sakura? Then his eyes trailed to where her hands were, on the ground, where a giant hole was made. He saw her expression. He had rarely seen Sakura like this. She looked dark. Her eyes were much more narrowed than usually. She glared at the man across from her. Kiba gulped. It was obvious: the two were-

* * *

"Having fun under the sheets?" Sou guessed, unsure of what the true meaning of what he said.

Kiba squeaked when he heard the little boy say that. His hands reached to Sou's mouth, covering it. "No! No! No! NO! They were fighting, okay?! Like real ninjas do! And don't ever mention that again, especially to your daddy, alright?! You don't want him to hurt your precious, Uncle Kiba, right?!" he chuckled nervously. Seriously, out of all the kids that had to come to him, it just had to be his. They probably learned this from Naruto. And Konohagakure chose him to be Hokage. Including him. He was supposed to be taking care of them for a week. Looks like he had been taking advantage of it too much.

"Fighting? But aren't they in love?" Yuriko asked, frowning."People in love don't fight like that."

"Not yet! But anyway, Flower was mad supposedly at that date Raven spied on. Either way, I dunno. Now, lemme finish the story," Kiba continued.

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura were indeed in a fight. Kiba never saw this before. It was hard to imagine what almost four years apart could do to those two teammates. Wasn't Sasuke always protecting her? But here they were, standing as equal, one wanting to beat the crap of the other. Kiba tried to sway his head around to look at Sasuke's expression but couldn't. All he could see was the side, but Sasuke's bangs covered his eyes. Sakura breathed heavily as she lifted her fist from the ground. Next thing that he knew, Kiba saw Sakura right in front of Sasuke, throwing a roundkick towards his face. Kiba was shocked. _Sakura's that fast? Sasuke's not even moving! Is she stronger than him now-_

Kiba saw an arm reach for Sakura's legs. Sasuke had caught it, the rest of his body unmoving. Sakura trembled, trying to free herself from Sasuke's hold. She cursed. She lifted her other leg up, using Sasuke's hand as a balance. It was reaching to his stomach. Kiba bit his lips. Sasuke's other arm caught it again. Wide eye, Sakura yelled as her body came crashing to the ground, face first. Just as she was about to get up, Sasuke's foot landed on her back gently, pushing her once again to the ground. She coughed. She couldn't get up. Kiba grew worried. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Sakura was indeed in trouble but Kiba noticed that as Sasuke's foot did not use much chakra. He didn't want to interrupt whatever it was going on between them. he continued to observe.

He was shocked to hear Sasuke's deep voice for the first time. "I really don't want to fight you at the moment."

Sakura threw a punch to the ground. She turned her face to glare at Sasuke. "You were asking for it! I have been tired for the last two weeks at the hospital and when I got the chance to relax, you just had to ruin it! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Sasuke did not respond. At the same time, he refused to let go of his hold on Sakura. He shoved his hands into his pockets, irritating Sakura with his too calm behavior.

"Why did you embarass me last night?! I lost a friend cause of you!"

Once again, no response. Kiba was now confused. He had no idea what they were talking about. Then again, after the things he heard, he was not surprised at Sasuke's cold demeanor to whatever happened to that "friend." He saw Sasuke's foot get off from Sakura's back. He took out a hand towards her. Sakura glared at him, slapping it away from him. She stood up on her own, keeping a good distance between the two.

"Frogs have better vocabulary than you, but this is ridiculous! Why aren't you talking?!" She yelled angrily.

"You're stronger now."

Sakura's face soften. It wasn't hard with anger anymore. Kiba was sure he saw a red tint on her cheeks. Immediately, she shook her head.

"You're not the type of person to do that kind of stuff. Why were you there?" She asked him curiously. She held onto her breath.

There was a moment of silence. Kiba wanted to leave the scene yet at the same time didn't. He wanted to know what happened to Sasuke after all these years, after all the sacrifices that were made for him. For a moment, a terrible thought came to him: Kiba had risked his life as well as the others and Sasuke acted like it was nothing. It angered him for a moment. He assumed that Sasuke was trying to revive his ties with her, but to no avail. Sakura may have cared for him too much in the past, but it wasn't going to work now. Sasuke may have changed for the worst. Even if he did return.

Sasuke spoke calmly. "Naruto blackmailed me into it."

* * *

"UNCLE NARUTO MADE HIM?!" Yuriko and Sou repeated in shock. Their Uncle Naruto had never told them that. Their cheeks puffed, their faces boiling. They were so going to see their lying Uncle Naruto about this. Kiba looked at them.

"That's all I heard. Now that you guys told me about the date, it all makes sense. Raven was never the type of person to do such a stuff, even if he cared for Flower at the time."

"When does he confess his love for her?" Yuriko asked with hope in her eyes. Kiba shrugged.

"I don't know, but it sure wasn't at that time. Raven was not the type of person that let out his emotions easily. Not many people could read what was going on in his mind."

Yuriko's face dropped. "This sounds like a sad story."

Kiba panicked. "No, it's not! I swear, it ends happily ever after! I promise!" It was true. He hated giving out hints of the ending, but considering they were only kids, he didn't want to sadden them. Especially since he didn't ever want to deal with their father. Again.

The two kids stood up and bowed. "Uncle Kiba, thank you for the story! We're going to go talk to Uncle Naruto now! Bye!"

They waved goodbye to each other. Kiba watched their disappearing figures. He remembered what those kids told him about the date.

_Poison, huh? No wonder Sasuke didn't answer much. He really did care for her then._

As he returned back to his dogs, Kiba noticed the monuments of all the past Hokages. At the very end was the recently new one. Uzumaki Naruto. The Sixth Hokage, the strongest ninja in Konohagakure. He stared at his rock face, remembering all the great things Naruto had done for the village. He actually did achieve his dreams. After a while, one question lingered in Inuzuka Kiba's mind:

Why did Naruto choose such a dumb title?


	5. The Confrontation

Chapter 4: The Confrontation

It was probably two in the morning when Tthe Hokage returned back to his mansion. He opened and closed the door swiftly and quietly. The lights were out. Not a sound. He smiled. The meeting had been tiresome, him and the elders talking nonstop about the most boring but apparently important things. Now that he was back home with his wife and kids, he could finally relax. Just as he was about to head to his room, he heard his stomach growl. Of course. Naruto had yet to eat much since the meeting began. Walking towards his kitchen, he looked around to a cabinet and grinned. Ramen could always ease him. It was as if he could smell the sweet scent of it right now. Oh how much he desired it at the moment. When he opened the cabinet, his jaw dropped. It was empty. Nothing. No ramen. His face turned pale like a ghost.

_W-W-W-WHERE'S THE RAMEN?! WHY IS IT G-G-G-GONE?!_ He thought to himself, panicking. He looked around every cabinet and drawer for a sign of ramen. No where. It disappeared. He squeaked and was about to faint until he saw the lights flicker on. He turned around confused than his eyes widen. His jaw dropped but he held back a scream as he saw two kids sitting on the table eating ramen tastefully. Noticing the Hokage, they grinned.

"Welcome back, Uncle Naruto! Isn't ramen yummy?" Sou asked teasingly as she slurped onto the noodles.

Naruto dashed towards them, glaring at them. "Oi, oi, oi! Why are you eating my ramen?! What happened to it?! My ramen!"

Yuriko pointed her chopsticks at Naruto. "You'll get your ramen back once you tell us the truth!"

Naruto's eyebrows quirked. "The truth? What are you talking about?!"

"YOU'RE A LIAR! RAVEN DIDN'T SPY ON THE DATE CAUSE HE WAS JEALOUS! MR. INUZUKA SAID YOU MADE HIM!" The two kids accused him, still eating their noodles. Naruto froze.

_Damn you, Kiba_. "B-B-But why does that matter?"

"If you want your ramen back, you will tell us the truth!" Sou threatened dangerously as he gulped the last of the ramen. Naruto gritted his teeth, annoyed. Oh, how much he wanted to choke these kids, but knew the consequences that would come after.

_So cruel, just like him!_ Naruto sighed. He pulled out a chair and sat on it. "Fine, fine. Hmm, where was it? Oh right, the hopsital! Raven was walking to the hospital to go meet up with Flower when..."

* * *

Naruto grinned cheerfully as he skipped around the hospital. Following him was a Sasuke, walking calmly as ever with his hands shoved in his pockets. Naruto looked back to his friend.

"Oi, Sasuke, aren't you excited that you're finally done with all that crappy service?! Now we can actually hang out and have fun!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his arm over Sasuke's shoulder. The Uchiha fidgeted.

"Get you arm off, Naruto."

Naruto sighed. "Can't you at least be happy that we're all back together now? Ne, if we find Sakura, I'm sure we can all go to Ichiraku's and it'll just be like old times!"

Sasuke didn't respond. He continued walking down the hallway. Naruto pouted. As great as it was that his best friend was back, Naruto could stand Sasuke being so quiet. He rather have his friend taunt him endlessly than not say anything at all. He had changed so much over the years, more quieter than ever. Rumor had it that he had gone extremely violent, killing anybody in his path. But Naruto wasn't sure. He didn't want to believe it anyway. Sasuke was back. It meant that he changed, at least Naruto hoped so.

Naruto stopped walking, a grin forming on his face. The scene in front of him was interesting. There Sakura was talking with a boy around their age. He looked nervous. Naruto giggled. Sasuke gave him a questioning look. The blond boy could tell that Sasuke had no idea what was going on. Naruto pointed in front of them.

"Ne, Sakura-chan's getting asked out on a date." Naruto glanced at Sasuke, waiting to see any reaction. To his disappointment, nothing changed on Sasuke's face. He was still calm as ever. Only his eyes stared at the scene, looking slightly dazed.

"Sasuke-teme, aren't you gonna do something about this?!" He asked.

"Why?"

Naruto grabbed the collar of Sasuke's shirt. "B-B-But it's Sakura-chan! I mean, she might go on a date!"

"So?" Sasuke replied, pulling Naruto's hand away from him. Naruto puffed. He knew there was something up with Sasuke if it concerned Sakura. He could tell the first day Sasuke came back. On that day, he didn't bother to greet anybody in the room but Sakura. He was being stubborn. He knew there was something deep down there in Sasuke. An idea lit in Naruto's mind.

"Hey Sasuke, go spy on their date."

The Uchiha stared at him, slightly annoyed. "No."

"Eh? But it's only for an hour or two! Plus, you can see how she's been doing and maybe in the end, you'll win her so you guys can have some fun time-"

"I have more important things to do." Sasuke interrupted, swaying his face away from Naruto. Naruto thought that was a lie. Sasuke never did anything important now.

"If you don't, I'll tell Tsunade-baachan that you tried escaping Konoha." Naruto earned a death glare from Sasuke. That made him angry, and to Naruto's surprise, he saw the Sharingan on. He didn't know that Sasuke did not want, or maybe was scared, of such a punishment. Sasuke was the never the type to be careful or considered things risky. Naruto celebrated inside his mind in victory. He understood that if Sasuke ever left Konohagakure again, he would receive the death sentence. Then, his ears heard the boy exciting talking with Sakura. Naruto's eyes widen when he saw the boy grab Sakura's hand to kiss it then waved her goodbye. He stared at the scene in awe.

"WHOA DID YOU SEE THAT SASUKE-TEME! SAKURA-CHAN'S GOING ON A DATE!" Naruto turned to his friend and gulped. Sasuke looked like he wanted to kill Naruto right now just before the Uchiha looked at Sakura.

* * *

Yuriko and Sou stared at him in silence. Naruto scratched his head, laughing nervously.

"Well, there you have it. What do you think-OW!"

Naruto rubbed the spot where the little girl punched him in the cheek. She hit hard for a little girl. He turned to Yuriko angrily.

"OI HOW DARE YOU HIT THE HOKAGE?! DIDN'T I JUST GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT?!" He moaned loudly. To his dismay, he heard a baby cry. Naruto sighed. A feeling of guilt plagued him for making his son wake up in distress. Naruto told himself to keep quiet and calm. He was the Hokage for heaven's sakes! He needed to act like an adult and mature, or at least, try.

"Why did you get so uptight about that? I just told you the truth."

"But, but, that means Raven didn't love her! So it doesn't end happy and maybe you're still lying and it's not a true story!" Sou accused him.

"You guys, love takes time to grow. You can't expect Raven to just come back and confess his love to Flower the minute he returns."

"Fine, but did anything happy ever happen between them yet?" Yuriko asked impatiently.

Naruto scratched his head for a minute. He was thinking really hard. Then his eyes opened wide as well as his smile. He turned to the kids and nodded vigorously. The children's face lit up and immediately regain their attention to Naruto.

"Now it may start off bad but don't assume too much. Just wait patiently and see what's gonna happen..."

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was merely walking down the roads of Konoagakure when he saw a figure far away grow bigger and bigger. Suddenly, a flash of orange appeared followed by Naruto's face right in front of him. Naruto did not look happy. Sasuke twitched.

"Get you face away from me."

Naruto's face tightened. Then, his arms started wavering everywhere.

"SASUKE-TEME! I HEARD FROM INO WHO HEARD FROM SHIKAMARU WHO HEARD FROM SHINO WHO HEARD FROM LEE WHO HEARD FROM THE CUTE GIRL AT THE CANDY SHOP WHO HEARD FROM HINATA WHO HEARD FROM KIBA THAT YOU AND SAKURA-CHAN WERE FIGHTING!!"

Sasuke gave him a blank look. "And?"

"THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO FALL IN LOVE WITH SAKURA-CHAN WHEN YOU CAME BACK AT FIRST SIGHT AND THEN REBUILD YOUR CLAN BY MAKING TINY YOUS AND SAKURAS-OW!"

Sasuke had just hit Naruto on the head with an annoyed expression. Naruto moaned. He glared at Sasuke, who resumed to walking away. Naruto was quick to grab his shoulder and twist Sasuke around, making the two face each other.

"Sasuke, I heard what happened during that date! Why would you do that?! Don't you know how much Sakura-chan hates you now? It's all cause of you Team 7 isn't back yet! You're tearing us apart! What's wrong with you and why would you do that?!" Naruto breathed heavily after his rant. He had so many more questions to ask his friend but knowing that Sasuke had changed, Naruto doubted he could get any answers. This infuriated him even more. "Teme-"

"What happened?"

"Huh?" Naruto said, confused.

"To Sakura," Sasuke replied calmly. "She's stronger now."

Naruto bit his lips. "Do you care about her?" He had to know. Sasuke never asked much about anybody yet except her. She was something to him. Naruto knew it.

No response from Sasuke. Giving up, Naruto left his grip on Sasuke's shirt. The two friends stared at each other, one with a menacing glare and the other calm and cool. Naruto was looking everwhere on Sasuke's face for a single sign of emotion. Not one. He didn't understand. Yes, Sasuke finally completed his lifelong goal of killing Itachi, but didn't he have an ounce of feelings anymore? He was like a block.

"She trained like hell with Tsunade-baachan after you left. It's a miracle she even survived through it. Ero-senin told me that she rarely takes students cause her training is too hard. You risk death through it."

At last. Sasuke's body stiffened a bit, but it was enough for Naruto to notice. He would have smiled victoriously if it Sasuke wasn't so dead calm.

"Why did she take it?"

Naruto couldn't help but force a grin. He was starting to get through, even if it was just by a little. "I don't know. Why don't you ask her? And while you're at it, go settle things between you two. I can't stand you and Sakura-chan on bad terms. It's like...Ichiraku without ramen!"Naruto gasped at the horrible connection he just made. He imagined the thought and wanted to cry.

Sasuke sighed. Typical of Naruto to react like that, even though he himself said it. Sasuke turned around, his back facing Naruto. He continued walking forward down the street, farther and farther away from Naruto.

"Sasuke, Sakura's house is on the right."

Sasuke's steps faltered a bit. He remained still. Naruto prayed that Sasuke would turn the other way. Sasuke didn't. He walked straight, the same direction he intended to. Disappointed came to Naruto's face as he looked at the Uchiha symbol shrink from his view.

* * *

Naruto paused. He saw the two kids' faces fell down after he finished telling that part. The story did not end well. Or so they thought.

"He went to her house that night."

"What?! Really?! What did he do?! What happened?! Did he confess yet?! Did they have fun under the sheets?! How do you have fun under the sheets anyway?! What does that mean?! Did this even happen?! Did they ever get married?! Who are they really?! TELL US!" The two kids rambled on with their questions.

A chuckle escaped from Naruto's mouth. "Hold on, guys. Patience is the key to everything."

* * *

"DAMNIT WHAT'S TAKING THAT BASTARD SO LONG?!" Naruto whispered loudly as he hid in a tree. He groaned.

He had been sitting their since the afternoon right after his conversation with Sasuke. It was already pretty late. The moon was up. The only thing open this late were bars and clubs. Naruto pouted. His main view was Sakura's house and he was not pleased with it. The only thing that would brighten him up was a certain Uchiha on the front steps, knocking on Sakura's door, him pronouncing his love for her, and-

His eyes blinked at the coincidence that stood before them. There was indeed someone at the front door. A tall boy with jet-black, spikey hair. A huge grin came to Naruto.

_Hehehehe, perfect timing, Sasuke_.

He saw Sasuke's hand rise to the door but stopped for a moment. Was Uchiha Sasuke hesitating? This was so entertaining to Naruto. A knock was heard. Sasuke stood there alone for a few minutes. Naruto found this odd. Sakura should be home by now. Even the lights were on. She would have no doubt heard that. Sasuke knocked again, this time more louder and vigorously. The door did not open. A worried look came to Naruto. He wondered if Sakura actually knew it was Sasuke and rather not open it. He hoped not. He really wanted things back the same again and bring Team 7 back.

"Sakura." Naruto heard Sasuke's voice say. "It's me, Sasuke."

The door was still closed. Naruto gulped.

"Sakura," Sasuke repeated, raising his voice. He sounded angry and annoyed. Sasuke's body tensed for a moment. The next thing that happened shocked Naruto. Uchiha Sasuke had stepped back and kicked Sakura's front door to the ground. He ran into her house and all Naruto heard was "Sakura!" repeated over and over again.

Naruto jumped to the tree to look into Sakura's room. Something was wrong. She would never hold off anybody that long, not even Sasuke. He hoped nothing happened to her. He hoped she was safe. He could feel Sasuke's chakra climbing the stairs and bursting into her room. Naruto landed on another tree, shock written all over his face. A girl screamed.

"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled. He saw...

* * *

"W-W-What are you three still doing up?"

Naruto, Yuriko, and Sou shrieked. The turned around. Behind them was Hinata in her sleeping robes, holding the baby Minato in her arms. Minato was sucking his thumb, giving the three odd looks.

"HINATA-CHAN, YOU RUINED IT! I WAS JUST TELLING MY SUPER, DUPER AWESOME STORY AND WHEN IT GOT TO THE GOOD PART...WHY DID YOU RUIN IT?!" Naruto moaned, crying that his masterpiece was left unfinished.

"B-But Naruto-kun, it's so late. It's way past their bedtime," Hinata replied, hinting them to keep quiet for the baby.

"They're kids, Hinata-chan. They don't want to go to bed. They want to spend quality time with their favorite uncle, right guys?" Naruto asked loudly.

"Please, Aunt Hinata? Please?" The two kids pleaded. Hinata looked at them with a soft smile, yet apologetically.

"I'm sorry. But you guys must rest. You can resume the story tomorrow morning," said Hinata.

"But Hinata-chan!"

"Do you want their parents to find out about this?" His wife asked darkly.

Naruto froze in fear. "N-n-n-n-no."

"Good. Now off to bed, you guys," Hinata chirped as she led the two kids into their bedrooms. When she finished tucking them into bed, she walked out and glanced over to her husband. "You too, Naruto-kun. You need you're rest as the Hokage."

Naruto smiled sheepishly as the two entered their own room. "Yeah, I guess. But Hinata-chan, if you just had just let us have five more minutes, I could have finished the story _and_ get back my ramen!"

Hinata giggled at his innocence. She planted a small kiss on his lips and smiled. "So Naruto-kun. Oh, what did actually happen then?"

"You're gonna have to wait in the morning," Naruto grinned.

Hinata sighed before setting Minato in his crib. That night, Naruto slept soundly with Hinata in his arms.


	6. Unheard Things

Chapter 5: Unheard Things

Sasuke stared wide eyed at the scene before him. Never would he imagine that such a thing could ever happen at all, let alone even experience. He stood at Sakura's door to her bedroom, frozen.

"S-S-Sakura?"

There standing barely a foot away from him was Sakura, with her long pink locks and innocent jade eyes. But what caught Sasuke's attention the most was the fact that he didn't see a piece of clothing on her. At all. He could see every part of her body. She glanced at him and smiled. She slowly walked up to him and grabbed his chin, staring at him seductively.

"You're late, Sasuke-kun. I've been expecting you."

Sasuke flinched at her touch, but immediately regained his calm pose. As Sakura's fingers played with his chin, Sasuke couldn't help but look everywhere of her body. She was a goddess. He smirked.

"Sorry. Let's get started shall we?" Immediately he crashed his lips into hers, tore apart his clothes, and slammed her against the bed lustfully to do their business-

* * *

"Naruto-kun, d-d-d-don't even think about telling the kids _that_!" Hinata screeched as she bonked her husband on the top of his head. "And I know that's not true!"

Naruto groaned as he rubbed the bump that formed from the hit. Yuriko and Sou sat at the table, eating their breakfast quietly, yet looking confused. "B-B-B-But how did you know?! I was only thinking of it!" Naruto yelled, curious of how his wife was able to read his mind so well. "Besides, something like that really did happen!"

He saw her Byakugan activated. Of course. Neji had taught her how to read people's mind depending on their chakra patterns. _Damn them Hyuugas_, Naruto thought. It would have been so good, even more worthy than the "Icha Icha Paradise" series.

"I'm going to change Minato's diapers now," Hinata said before leaving the kitchen before giving her husband a soft glare that seem the send the message: Tell-those-kids-or-risk-their-parents-finding-out. Naruto gulped. She was not the same timid girl anymore. Ever since he married her...oh life.

"Ne, Uncle Naruto? What did happen?" Sou asked, with his mouth full of rice balls. Naruto grinned. _Yes! She's gone!_

"Fine so here we go: Raven had just run to Flower's room and there he saw..."

* * *

Naruto looked through the window and saw Sasuke's expression. He had never seen the look on Sasuke ever. This would be the first time and extremely epic. Shock written all over Sasuke's face as if he wanted to turn away but couldn't. His jaw and eyes were wide as golf balls, probably could stretch even more.

And all because a certain pink-haired girl was wrapped in a towel, dripping wet.

Oh how Naruto wished he could laugh out loud and tell the whole village. But he wouldn't. It was bound to ruin the moment. So he stayed quiet. But damn, he never knew Sakura had such fine curves and perfectly rounded breasts. Sasuke must be thinking the same thing. It was so clear on Sasuke's face that it was indeed a surprise to see his teammate half-naked.

Sakura was the first to speak. "S-S-S-Sasuke?! How the hell did you get in here?!"

Sasuke's face immediately turned the other way, his bangs covering his eyes from her view. "Um, I-I was at the door and well..."

Was the Uchiha Sasuke nervous? Stuttering? At lost of words? Naruto felt his stomach would explode any minute if he didn't burst out laughing.

"Well what, Sasuke?" Sakura asked angrily. He flinched at the sound of his name.

"I thought you were..." Sasuke couldn't bring himself to finish it. Although Naruto could not tell what Sasuke's face looked like since the bangs covered it, he was pretty sure Sasuke Uchiha was embarrassed and most likely blushing. Sasuke may be a cold bastard, but no man can deny it when he sees a beautiful, half-naked woman in front of him.

_Releast you manhood into Sakura-chan, you lucky bastard!_ Naruto thought, almost cackling. _Take a chance on her! She's right there! It's the perfect opportunity!_

"Why did you train with Godaime?" Sasuke asked bluntly, as if he had already forgotten the last thing he said. Sakura tooked at him, taken aback at the sudden change.

"W-W-What? D-d-don't change the subject and why. are. you. still. in. my. room?" She replied dangerously.

Sasuke didn't move. "I'm not leaving until you answer."

Naruto gasped loudly. Maybe there were secret intentions behind those dark, black eyes of Sasuke's. Sakura started to fume and blushed madly. "I don't have to tell you! Especially now! And why do you care?!"

"Cause you've changed."

Sakura's knees felt weak all a sudden. She clutched onto her towel even tighter, her eyes looking to the ground.

"D-D-Don't you realize what I'm wearing?!"

"I won't look. Just answer."

"But Sasuke-"

"Do you trust me?" Sasuke asked calmly. When Sakura looked up at the sound of those words, her eyes widen as they locked with Sasuke's obsidian orbs. Naruto thought they looked too calm for the moment. His eyes did not waver away from Sakura's face. The remain still, not bothering to look under. Sakura was quiet, her eyes full of worry.

"I'll just look at your face so you know I'm not looking anyway else."

Sakura's face matched the color of her hair after he said that. She tried hard to break away from his stare, but couldn't. He was telling the truth. Both of them had yet to blink and she saw that his eyes looked nowhere but hers. His eyes did not move. Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sasuke had never said such a thing before. Was he really that intent on finding the answer? Why was Sasuke so curious? Love? He sure as hell didn't show it well. Then again, he was practically a human ice cube.

And that was why Naruto couldn't control himself anymore. He would forever regret what he would say next:

"SASUKE YOU IDIOT! WHY WOULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING! DON'T TRY TO BE ROMANTIC AND COOL AND NOBLE WHEN SHE'S PRACTICALLY HALF NAKED! JUST RIP OFF THE DAMN TOWEL WITH YOU SO-CALLED POWER YOU LEARNED FROM THAT SNAKE HOMO AND START MAKING LOVE WHICH SHALL BRING YOUR NEW BABY NAMED UCHIHA NARUTO-"

"NARUTO WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THERE?! PERVERT!" Sakura screeched before jumping out of her window and punching Naruto right at his cheek. Naruto screamed like a girl as Konohagakure saw the blond boy fly across the village like a shooting star.

It would only take a few seconds for him to land straight into the lake. Naruto swam up, gasping for air. He moaned loudly.

"Damnit, she calls me the perv when it was the bastard who slammed her door down and is in her room!" Naruto complained as he swam to land.

* * *

"What? You don't even know what they talked about?! Why did you even bother us telling this?!" Sou pouted.

"He saw her almost naked? Gross!" Yuriko spat in disgust. "Why is this a happy story?"

"It's the truth, kids! I saw it with my very own eyes!" Naruto exclaimed over dramatically, using two fingers to point right to his eyeballs. "And it is happy cause it's hilarious! Raven is the type of person that would have the best reaction if he saw a naked woman, especially if it's Flower." It really did happen. He was just so glad his wife wasn't in the room, listening to all of this.

"But girls are yucky!" Sou said, shielding his eyes from his imagination.

"Oh Sou, someday you're going to be obsessed with the idea of it!" Naruto cackled evilly. _And I'm sure you're gonna get plenty of naked women in your life if you get your daddy's so-called handsome looks._

Sou gasped in horror. He looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"So what do you think they talked about, Uncle Naruto?" Yuriko asked.

Naruto shrugged. "They could have talked about anything. I don't know if Flower actually did tell him why she trained, but I do know what happened after the conversation."

* * *

The next morning, Naruto was in a bright mood as he started walking towards Sasuke's house. There were no missions today and he really wanted time with his best friend so what else would there be to do? He went in the direction of the bridge where Team 7 used to meet up all the time. Memories flooded his mind, and a small smile came. If Sasuke and Sakura fixed up everything that moment, then the future would be back again. Team 7. Once more. He would sacrifice anything just to have that back.

After he crossed the bridge, Naruto saw something he didn't expect so soon. Walking down the street next to each other was Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, side by side. Naruto quirked his eyebrows, confused. _Wonder what happened last night?_

He couldn't see their expressions clearly. Both of them seem to be quite calm and relaxed with each other's presence. They were walking at the same pace, no one overleading the other. Sasuke tapped Sakura on the shoulder, motioning her to the building across from them. Lips moved, as if speaking to each other. After a few seconds, Sakura nodded as the two went inside the building. When the two entered, Naruto sped up to where they had entered. Naruto had a dumbfound look. He stood in front of a sweets shop, a place to have a moment for snacks. This was puzzling. When did Uchiha Sasuke eat sweet stuff? Suddeny, Naruto's eyes widen.

_Are they on a date?_

Naruto's mind was working like crazy, never before. An idea arrived to his head, as well as a cackle. _I see, so they must have did it last night! Hehehe! I knew Sasuke couldn't resist! _

_"_Sasuke and Sakura, laying on the bed! F-U-C-K-I-N-_" _Naruto chanted under his breath until a voice interrupted him.

"Naruto, what kind of crap are you singing about?"

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


	7. Theories

Chapter 6: Theories

"GAHH!" Naruto yelled at the sudden appearance of a masked ANBU in his kitchen. The ANBU was wearing the typical uniform but looked much rounder than what a ninja should be. He bowed to his knees.

"Sorry for interrupting, Hokage-sama," he spoke, with delightful annoyance of saying the title slightly. "The Elders have requested an emergency meeting as of right now."

"WHAT?! NO!" Naruto cried. "BUT I WAS GETTING TO THE GOOD PART! WHY IS EVERYBODY ALWAYS RUINING THIS BEAUTIFUL TALE!"

The ANBU remained in his position, letting out a sigh. Naruto stood up. "Oh well, looks like it's gonna have to wait for tomorrow."

"NOO!" The two kids moaned, frowning. Naruto was exhausted. He already had a meeting only hours ago and once again, he was prepared for another one. He would have thought that considering the Elders old age, they would have been too tired for meetings. Apparently, that was probably all they could do. A smile came swiftly to his face as he grabbed the ANBU by the shoulder. He immediately knocked the mask off the ninja, revealing a familiar, chubby face. The ANBU looked at him, confused.

"Ne, ne, ne, you could finish the story!" Naruto exclaimed to the ANBU. "You were there, right Chouji?"

"W-W-What are you talking about, Naruto?" Chouji replied puzzled.

"The Tale of the Raven and the Flower!"

"The Tale of the what?"

Naruto leaned into Chouji's ears, whispering things that were inaudible to the children. After Naruto finished, Chouji eyed him curiously.

"Naruto, that is the most stupidest, wrongest name for such a thing."

"DON'T MOCK ME! I'M THE DAMN HOKAGE! IT'S MY STORY AND I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT WITH IT!" Naruto argued loudly. "NOW AS YOUR HOKAGE, I ORDER YOU TO TELL THAT PART OF THE STORY AND TELL THESE CHILDREN THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE WHO KNOWS OF IT OR ELSE I WILL CLOSE DOWN EVERY FREAKING BUFFET HERE EXCEPT FOR ICHIRAKU'S, WHICH I WILL MAKE IT SO ONLY I AM ALLOWED TO ENTER IT!"

Chouji let out a cheerful sigh. "Still making fun of my weight, I see? But I guess telling the story won't be that bad."

Naruto hugged Chouji to death in happiness. "Thank you so much, Chouji! You don't understand the importance of this tale to live!"

Turning to the kids, Naruto grinned and waved them goodbye before disappearing in a poof of air. In the room left were only Sou, Yuriko, and Chouji. Chouji smiled weakly at the two kids. _Hmm, they take on more from their father than their mother. Hope their next child will have their mother's traits. Strange, seeing mini versions of him.  
_

"Hey, sir, who are you from this picture?" Yuriko asked as she laid out the photo of the Konoha 11. Chouji took a closer examination of it and pointed to his teenage version of himself. The kids looked at it with a gloomy look, as if considering themselves stupid for not realizing that.

"I'm Akimichi Chouji; Your father and I once worked together on an ANBU mission. You were probably only babies when I last saw you," Chouji introduced himself. "And at the personal request of the Hokage, I shall continue the tale from the 'date.'"

The two kids gave their full attention to him as Chouji pulled out a bag of chips from his pouch and started eating from it.

"Hmm, where were we? Oh yea, a couple of teams. including mine, had organized a small reunion since none of us had seen each other for so long until that day when we heard Naruto..."

* * *

Everybody within Team Gai, Team Kurenai, and Team Asuma were walking down together in a giant group. They were chatting animatedly with one another down the roads of Konohagakure. The girls, consisting of Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, did most of the talking through their giggling and gossip. The boys, consisting of Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Kiba, and Shino, began to get annoyed from the girls. They had no idea why girls would talk about such things.

"Why is it so interesting to hear about who dates who? So noisy," Shikamaru complained after overhearing the girls gossip about dating. "Women are so troublesome."

"Ah! Watch what you say, Shikamaru! This is the reason why you won't be able to marry the woman of your dreams!" Ino shouted into his face.

Shikamaru scoffed. "I rather keep it that way. You, on the otherhand, I'll be praying for the man you marry to actually survive in happiness."

"WHAT?!" She shrieked before attempting to choke him, giving Shikamaru more reasons not to marry.

* * *

"Huh? Aren't Auntie Ino and Uncle Shika married though?" Sou asked, slightly confused.

Chouji grinned delightfully. "They were young back then and almost in denial as Raven and Flower were. Moving on..."

* * *

After the little scene, everybody noticed that Hinata's face had suddenly turned extremely red. She started to mumble random things. Tenten patted her shoulder.

"Hey, Hinata, what's wrong?" Tenten asked, breaking the silence.

"Um, N-N-Naruto-k-k-kun..." She stuttered, pointing in the direction across from them. Everybody looked to where her finger her pointing.

Indeed she was right. They saw the familiar blond boy in the orange suit slouching in front of the sweets shop. He seemed dazed and too relaxed, staring at the shop. Drool slipped from his mouth as it crooked into a grin. Everybody had a confused look.

"What's that idiot doing?" Kiba asked.

Shino shrugged. "Well, it is Naruto."

Everybody nodded in agreement. Upon walking closer up to him, Naruto began to break into a mini song.

_"_Sasuke and Sakura, laying on the bed! F-U-C-K-I-N-_"_

"Naruto, what kind of crap are you singing about?" Shikamaru asked lazily.

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Naruto screamed like a girl as he jumped was surprised to see practically the majority of the Konoha 11 altogether in one afternoon.

"W-W-W-What are you guys doing here?" He asked, recovering from the shock.

"You should be the one asking yourself! Singing about Sasuke and Sakura, sleeping together-" Ino exclaimed before she stopped herself. Everybody but Naruto froze.

"SASUKE AND SAKURA ARE DOING WHAT?!" They screamed in horror.

"BUT IT'S SASUKE!" Chouji exclaimed.

"SAKURA-SAN IS TOO YOUNG FOR SUCH A LEAP IN LIFE!" yelled Lee as tears streamed down his face.

"HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?!" Tenten asked, panicking.

"Hm, Uchiha probably learned a few other tricks from Orochimaru too," Neji smirked.

"Maybe she seduced him into it," Shikamaru grinned evilly. "Women these days."

"I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE GOT LAID BEFORE I DID, THAT FOREHEAD GIRL!" Ino complained loudly.

Naruto put a finger against his lips, motioning them to be quiet. With his other hand, he pointed inside the sweets shop and everybody seem to understand. They peered inside, eyes widening as they saw Sasuke and Sakura sitting at a table across from each other. Nothing seem to be happening yet except that the two were staring intensely at each other. In a very, unromantic way. Lips did not move but instead, remain still in a frown.

"What the hell? It looks like they just got back from a funeral or something!" Ino remarked with disappointment.

"B-B-B-But, it l-l-looks like a d-d-date," replied Hinata.

"In Uchiha standards, yes," Neji agreed sarcastically.

"Right! Sasuke-san is making amends for his sins by treating Sakura-san so well!" Lee exclaimed with a glint of inspiration in his eyes. "He truly is remarkable!"

"Shut up before they find us-" Naruto whispered harshly before yet another voice interrupted him.

"Sakura, do you hear something?" asked the Uchiha as he turned his face slowly to their direction.

Panicking, the group immediately ran outside the restaurant and jumped to a roof. After checking that Sasuke had not followed as well, they sighed in relief.

"Damnit, there's too many of us to spy on them!" Naruto moaned, displeased at the coincidence of running into the other teams when he could have gotten the perfect moment.

"Naruto's right. We need to go in small numbers," Chouji advised. Everybody nodded with hesitation.

"But then we'll miss certain parts, and every moment counts in a date!" Ino argued.

"But it's not a date," Shikamaru stated.

"SHUT UP!"

"I can send one of my bugs with a listening device inside," Shino suggested out of the blue. "We can spy on them without even getting caught."

Tenten clasped her hands together in delight. "Good idea! Also, Hinata and Neji-kun can use their Byaguukan to watch too!"

"I will not invade their privacy," Neji said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Then why did you run like a chicken when you thought Sasuke found us?" Tenten teased him. Neji glared at her but sigh. He turned to Hinata, who nodded with a small smile. The two closed their eyes for a moment, only for it to open a few seconds later with veins surrounding their eyes.

A tiny fly fluttered around Shino as he spoke to it. Then it disappeared and flew into the restaurant. Shino took out his radio, turning it up to the highest volume. After a while, sounds were transpiring through the radio, static getting in the way. To their annoyance, it took a while before they could actually get a real voice.

"What do you-static-Dan-static-he's the-static-"

"Oi! That's Sasuke!" Naruto pointed out. Shino continued to fix the radio.

"Hinata, what's going on?" Shino asked as he continued fixing.

"I-I-I see Sasuke-san's lips moving," She explained."His chakra flow is kinda disruptive."

"So is Sakura's," Neji added. "They don't seem comfortable."

"Could they be nervous?" Chouji asked.

Neji shook his head. "It's the kind of pattern that tells that they don't want to be there."

"So...it's not really a date?" Kiba asked with a hint of disappointment.

Everybody's head drooped down. Suddenly, more static started to erupt from the radio. Finally, something came through.

"Don't forget to pick up the stuff and come to my house." Sakura's voice was heard through the radio.

"Then we'll do it tonight then."

And the world froze.

* * *

"Was it cold? When the world froze?" Sou innocently questioned. Chouji laughed at their childish intelligence.

"Ne, what did they do that night?" Yuriko chirped curiously.

"That's what we wanted to know at the time..."

* * *

Everybody surrounded the radio in silence. So little was heard, yet it was enough to send millions of thoughts inside each of their heads. The expected and unexpected came with each person. Naruto had his jaws and eyes so wide a tree could fit in it. Hinata's face was scarlet red, as if she was going to faint any minute. Kiba's face was pale like a ghost. Shino, though behind his round dark glasses, had a disturbing twitch on his head. Ino gasped loudly as if she was about to have a heart attack. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at the radio, difficult to pinpoint his expression. Chouji stopped eating his chips, remaining motionless. Tenten clasped her hands to her cheeks, her mouth forming a giant "O." Neji tried his best not to laugh like a crazy person, retaining his calm posture with a huge smirk. Lee's eyes sparkled with unsure admiration. Although their faces clashed, one question was shared with everybody's mind and they all knew it:

_What were they doing tonight?_ Each of them had an answer, but to their disappointment, they weren't the same.

"SASUKE-SAN AND SAKURA-SAN ARE INCREDIBLE! THEY DECIDE TO TRAIN EVEN IN THE DARKNESS!" Lee exclaimed emotionally. "THEY WISH TO STRENGTHEN THEIR BONDS AFTER SO LONG! WHAT A GREAT FRIENDSHIP!"

"ARE YOU STUPID LEE?! THE ONLY SANE REASON IS THAT THEY'RE GONNA SLEEP WITH EACH OTHER!" Kiba yelled, smacking the boy on the head.

"SLEEP ISN'T THE CORRECT TERM, KIBA! AND YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Tenten cried.

"MAYBE THEY'RE HAVING A ROMANTIC DINNER!" Chouji suggested as he returned to munching his chips. "THEY DID MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT STUFF, SO THEY'RE PROBABLY COOKING!"

"YEAH LIKE TOYS TO PLAY WHILE THEY RESTORE HIS CLAN!" Kiba retorted.

"THAT'S NOT SASUKE! HE'S GOING TO PROPOSE TO HER!" Ino exclaimed.

"Then take her down on the bed," Neji commented with a delightful smirk.

"I KNOW SASUKE-SAN! THEY'RE GOING TO TRAIN!"

"ROMANTIC DINNER!"

"THEY'RE GONNA DO_ IT_!"

"Maybe Sakura forced him into doing her chores," Shikamaru stated slightly annoyed.

"NO!" Everybody shouted at him. Their attention turned back to Hinata but before she could utter a single word, she fainted with a red face.

"Hey, Naruto, you're being too quiet! What do you think is going on?!" Chouji barked.

Naruto had his head down, facing the ground. It was odd. His fists were clenched tightly. "I should have known..."

Everybody had raised eyebrows. Naruto had never sounded so serious after such a simple moment.

"Last night Sasuke and Sakura-chan were talking...I never mentioned it to anyone but they were both given a mission..."

"A mission?" Kiba repeated, dumbfounded. It was strange. It was always said that Sasuke was forbidden for any missions for at least a year. It must have been secretive, but it sure made sense of it was Sasuke. But what kind was it if it involved Sakura?

Naruto nodded. Then out of a sudden, he spun around and faced them with a huge grin and his thumbs up.

"THE MISSION TO MAKE UCHIHA NARUTO!"

A sweatdrop formed on each of their heads. Within a second, all of them surrounded Naruto and took turns punching him from several parts of his body.

"THAT IS THE GAYEST NAME EVER!"

Naruto sat up, rubbing all the bruises he received from the others. "DON'T TAUNT IT! YOU'RE ALL JUST JEALOUS CAUSE YOUR THEORIES AREN'T RIGHT!"

"Then let's find out; everybody treats the person with the closest idea to dinner," Neji suggested confidently. Everybody nodded in agreement. The deal was on.

* * *

"So who was right?"

"Wait for that part, Sou, I'm on the way."

* * *

That night, the Konoha 11 had just arrived around Sakura's house. They all took a position from a distance, watching it from trees or rooftops. They had already seen Sasuke go into her house and the two disappeared inside it. Hinata and Neji were closely examining with their Byakguukans as the others merely waited for things. Chouji leaned into his radio as he crouched behind the leaves.

"Hinata, Neji, what do you see?" He whispered.

Static came through the radio before he heard Neji's voice. "The two are just talking on the couch now...What?!"

"Eh? Neji, what's wrong?" Tenten asked, slightly worried.

"Uchiha just took off his shirt."

"HUH?!" Came the many voices shrieking.

"H-h-h-he's l-l-leaning to a bag..."

"TO GET THEM TOYS TO PLAY WITH UNDER THE SHEETS!" Kiba cackled.

"Shut up! They're gonna hear us!" Ino whispered harshly. "Hinata, Neji, can you guys get a closer look on what he's holding?"

"No but he's coming outside!" Neji replied hastily. All eyes were on the front porch. A figure was coming through the opening. Spikey, jet black hair flashed under the moonlight, followed by a handsome face. He was completely shirtless, showing his well-built-

"AH! SASUKE'S GOT SOME NICE ABS NOW!" Ino exclaimed gleefully.

"Shut up Ino before-"

"Come out, you guys," Sasuke said plainfully. Everybody froze. There was no escape now. They withdrew from their hiding spots and landed in front of Sakura's house. Sasuke looked too calm at the moment. And then they noticed: In his hands was a hammer and a few nails. They looked puzzled.

"Sasuke, what are you doing at Sakura's house?" Naruto asked confidently, as if it was the most easiest thing to do in the first place.

Sasuke twitched for a moment. "Fixing her door."

Crickets chirped quietly as everybody's face was sprawled with shock. Sasuke continued to have the same, calm posture. Shikamaru, on the otherhand, couldn't grin any wider.

"I expect a full-hardcore feast from each of you."

* * *

"THAT'S IT?!" Yuriko and Sou shouted loudly. Chouji nodded calmly.

"When does he confess his love? Or actually show it?" Yuriko asked irritated. He shrugged.

"I don't know. I never really saw any signs of affection between the two that time."

"Is this really a true story?!" Sou asked, slowly gaining a disappointed face. "Who are they really?"

Chouji chuckled. He ruffled the boy's hair. "In time, you will find out, and will be pleased with it."

Yuriko pouted. "Hmp! Maybe it's all just a big, fattie lie! Raven probably doesn't even love her!"

"Don't say that, Yuriko. He really does care for her, he just refuses to show it at this moment," Chouji explained.

"Then who knows a part where he actually cares?"

Chouji paused for a moment. Then his fingers pointed into the direction of Naruto's master bedroom. Of course. Yuriko and Sou smiled. Suddenly, a messenger bird flew through their window. Chouji grabbed the paper tied to its legs as the bird left. He rolled out the paper, reading the contents:

_Your substitution for ANBU captain Kirin will extend to one more day. Kirin is held up and will not return in time. _

Chouji smirked. _Held up, yeah right. More like enjoying his vacation._

He crumpled up the message and stood up.

"Alright, kids, I have to go now," Chouji said. "I have some duties to do now."

"Aw," They frowned. "Thanks for the story though!"

"No problem. Tell your parents the best of wishes," He replied before disappearing in a poof of smoke. The two kids looked at each and with a grin, dashing into where their Aunt Hinata was.


	8. The Hidden Side

Chapter 7: The Hidden Side

"Ne, Auntie Hinata, why doesn't Raven tell her he loves her?" Yuriko asked her aunt, who was feeding Minato with a milk bottle. "I mean, if he actually likes her, he'll say it."

Hinata smiled warmly. "Raven was a mysterious person who never allowed to show emotions. But when I got the chance to see him so emotional, he so scary, I thought his eyes were going to kill me."

"Huh? Really? Was he that scary?" Sou asked, slightly shocked.

Hinata nodded. "I once saw his most horrible side when the worst thing happened."

"What happened?"

Hinata paused for a moment. She looked into their eyes, her smile starting to sadden a bit.

"Flower got attacked."

"WHAT?!" The two kids cried in horror. "TELL US! NOW!"

Hinata couldn't help but let a giggle out. Just looking at these two kids made her even more eager to watch her own son grow up. She hoped that she would get to experience such a moment like this with her son, when he would pester her about the stories of the past.

_Children really do make your life a lot happier_, Hinata thought peacefully. "It was all very sudden and surprising when it happened. I was with your Uncle Naruto when I heard..."

* * *

Hinata sat nervously on the stool of Ichiraku's, not even half-way done with her bowl of ramen. Her companion, Naruto on the other hand, was wolfing down through his third bowl in hunger. According to him, Sasuke preferred training alone at the moment while Sakura was away on a solo mission, therefore resulting him with no one to hang out with but Hinata herself. She was shy to accept his proposal, almost fainting but nonetheless, agreed in the end. Even though she knew it wasn't a date, it didn't stop the good feeling that came with Naruto next to her.

He slurped each noodle strip like it was heaven. He looked so happy and gleeful. Suddenly, he started coughing from eating it too fast, choking slightly. After pouncing his chest several times, Naruto gasped, his head laying on the counter. Then, his eyes flew open along with a grin.

"Old man! One more bowl!" Naruto exclaimed with delight. The owner sighed but complied to his favorite customer.

Hinata giggled at the scene. _Naruto-kun would die before his love for ramen will._

"Huh? Hinata-chan, are you going to finish your ramen?" He asked as he leaned towards her.

"Oh! Y-y-y-yes! S-sorry! I-I-I was just t-t-thinking!" Hinata stuttered, slightly embarrassed at their close distance. Her eyes trailed to the bowl right in front of her, her mind suddenly thinking it was the most interesting thing to look at for the moment.

"Thinking about what?" Naruto asked curiously. Hinata's face turned cherry red.

"Um, n-n-nothing important, it's j-just..." _I got to stop stuttering or else he'll will never know..._

"Hey, hey, hey! You can tell me anything! I won't tell nobody!" Naruto promised, grinning cheekily. Hinata smiled. Deep down, she knew Naruto was too loud to keep anything a secret, but still, she felt soothed from what he said.

"Hey, do you have a fever, Hinata-chan? You're face is really red," Naruto asked as he placed his hand on her forehead. Hinata's face grew hotter. Their eyes were locked with each other, her white eyes staring into his blue ones. Naruto's touch only made things worse.

"Ah! You really do have a fever! You're head is so warm!" He exclaimed, dumbfounded of the situation. As he came closer, his nose touched hers. She squeaked.

"Ahh, N-N-N-Naruto-k-k-kun! Y-Y-You're-"

"Huh?"

"I-I-I-"

"Hyuuga!" a deep, familiar voice yelled angrily.

Hinata gasped when she heard her name, swaying her face away from Naruto's hold. She blinked several times as she saw the dark-haired boy who called her name. Her blood suddenly turned cold when she saw eyes the color of crimson.

"S-S-Sasuke-san?!" She stuttered in shock. He glared at her.

"You're coming with me. Now." Sasuke commanded dangerously. Naruto faced his friend, gritting his teeth.

"Oi, teme! Don't talk to Hinata-chan like that!" Naruto retorted.

To everybody's surprise, Hinata gasped as she felt Sasuke's hand grab her arm into a tight hold. He dragged her up as he jumped roof to roof, heading to an unknown direction. Hinata had a scared look on her face. She couldn't see Sasuke's face, only the back of his head covered in black hair. Although she was able to jump along with him, Hinata could tell that Sasuke's hold on her did not loosen, if it didn't grow tighter. She gulped. Sasuke had never done such a thing to her, even as genins. In fact, Hinata was already surprised that he knew her at all. She opened her mouth, but changed her mind, as when she saw his Sharingan, she felt frozen at the spot until he grabbed her. She bit her lips.

_What's going on with Sasuke-san?_ Hinata thoughts were quickly cut off when the two jumped straight into an open window. She recognized the plain hallways and the many people in nurse outfits. Her eyes widened. _Eh? Konoha Hospital?_

Hinata gasped when she felt Sasuke yank her arm as he led her down the hallway. She found it hard to keep up with his quick pace, even though they were just walking. She didn't dare fight his hold. Sasuke halted for a moment, only to open a door and walk inside it along with her. Finally, Sasuke let go of her arm. He went to join a blond woman who stood next to the patient bed.

It was then that Hinata's eyes widen in horror. In front of her was a patient laying on the bed, shaking ferociously. The patient was most likely in some sort of seizure. Hinata heard screams of pains escaping from their mouth. What scared her the most was the pink hair that was spreaded around the pillows.

"Sakura?!" Hinata cried, suddenly feeling her insides tightening.

The woman turned and Hinata noticed it was none other than the Godaime herself. Tsunade looked at her sternly, then turned to Sasuke.

"Interesting choice, Sasuke," Tsunade said, confusing Hinata. "I can't believe I didn't think of them."

"Her Byagukan is the only thing that will help," Sasuke replied as he glanced at Hinata darkly.

Finding the smallest amount of courage, Hinata spoke. "W-W-What happened to her?"

"Sakura was ambushed on her way home. The guards found her just outside of the village and brought her here," Tsunade explained as calmly as she could through Sakura's screams.

Hinata flinched each time she heard it but it didn't affect her as much as what she saw of Sasuke. She could see him biting his lips, trying to hold whatever he wanted to say or do. His fist were clenched so tightly, Hinata was waiting for blood to spill from holding it so hard. He kept his eyes on Sakura's body. She was panting heavily when she didn't scream. Hinata was so confused. There was no blood around the Sakura, and yet she was in so much pain.

"Godaime-sama, what's g-g-going on with her?" Hinata asked, walking closer to Sakura right when she had another outburst.

"I'm not sure how it happened, but the enemy apparently manipulated all her chakra into her head," Tsunade explained. "There's too much chakra up in her head, therefore causes her serious internal injuries to her brain. Unfortunately, the chakra itself refuses to spread evenly around her body, as if there are walls closing off her chakra into her mind. The chakra pathways are probably closed or damaged. Unless the chakra gets evenly distributed..."

Hinata understood, her mouth opening wide in horror. Her forehead was starting to form tiny beads of sweat, expecting what duties she must fulfill yet fearful of it. Before she could speak, Sasuke beat her to it.

"Open up her chakra pathways before she dies," Sasuke stated as he glared at her. Hinata felt her body tense up. Hinata wasn't sure what emotions ran through what he just said. There was definitely anger but did she hear a bit of desperation? It sounded like his version of a plea was sounding like a threat.

"What the fuck are you doing just standing there?! Hurry up and help Sakura!" He demanded loudly, scaring Hinata.

* * *

"Wow, Raven really is a meanie butt, saying that to you," Yuriko spat. "And you're so nice, Auntie!"

Hinata smiled weakly. "You must understand, Yuriko-chan. Raven was incredibly worried about her, and even though he showed it through anger, he couldn't control it. I forgive him for it. I hope you stay patient and allow me to finish."

* * *

"Control your anger, Uchiha! I have no time to deal with it while Sakura is dying!" Tsunade yelled at him before turning to Hinata. She looked nervous, her body shaking almost as much as Sakura. Giving the girl a small smile, Tsunade patted her on the shoulder.

"Hinata, you can do this. I trust you," Tsunade said sincerely. "You're a strong girl."

After a few seconds, Hinata calmed down. She narrowed her eyebrows with a more confident look on her face. She nodded. "Hai, Godaime-sama!"

She rushed to Sakura's side, wincing at the sound of her screams. She closed her eyes for a brief moment as the veins surrounding them began to bulge. Her eyes opened into a Byagukan. She scanned everywhere throughout Sakura's body, her mouth widening at the incedible damage to her body. Indeed what Tsunade had said was true. Some enemy, whether they possessed a Byagukan or not, had cleverly blocked the majority of her chakra paths, leaving the ones to her head free. There was too much in there. It would explode any minute. Sakura screamed once again. Hinata froze for a moment.

_Don't panic, don't panic, it's Sakura's life on the line..._

Hinata pressed two fingers against one point, inserting just enough chakra to open the pathway up. She bit her lips, annoyed at the long time it took. She would have to move quicker. She gathered more chakra evenly through each of her fingers, hitting each point as swiftly as possible. Another scream from Sakura.

"Hurry up!" Sasuke barked right into her face. Hinata almost stopped herself after hearing his sudden outburst. He sounded so angry, and yet, Hinata could see. She bit her lips, resuming her duties. After what seem to be the longest moment, Hinata saw that all but one was left and she gathered all the chakra she had inside to her fingers.

_Yes, I'm at the last one..._She opened the last one, but to everybody's surprise, Sakura screamed even louder than before.

"Sakura!" Sasuke whispered, inching closer to her side. Sakura's eyes flew wide open, as she began panting heavily. Her breathing was growing unevenly with each second. Her eyes weren't the vibrant green it usually was. Her pupils were far too dilated.

_What did I do?_ Hinata thought, not wanting to know the answer.

"Genjutsu," he said. Hinata gasped when she saw his eyes on her again. If looks could kill, then Sasuke would have done it already to her. He grabbed both of her shoulders, looking more scary than ever.

"What the hell did you do to her, you bastard?! What kind of games are you playing here, huh?!" Sasuke yelled, sounding as if he was about to crush her. Hinata couldn't speak. Tears were brimming in her eyes, but Sasuke didn't care. He shook her violently.

Her sobbing silence made him even angrier. "If you don't fix this, I swear I will kill-"

* * *

"HE WAS GOING TO KILL YOU?!" The two kids repeated, gasping. "WHAT A BUTTHOLE!"

Hinata laughed nervously. "Remember what I said? Raven doesn't know how to control what he really feels. He can't help it. That's just how much he cares about Flower."

* * *

"TEME I WILL BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY IF YOU FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" Another voice yelled.

Hinata felt Sasuke release his hands from her. She turned around, shocked yet relieved to see Naruto burst through the door. The two friends glared at each other, never leaving their sight. Hinata didn't know what to do. So much had happened in so little time. First, Sasuke acting so out of control and angrier than she ever seen to her. She knew he hated her so much now.

_Sasuke-san has every right, after what just happened to Sakura.._.Hinata thought, feeling guilty.

"Sasuke, are you stupid?! Stop wasting time and get Sakura out of her genjutsu now!" Tsunade ordered with high annoyance. "I need your Sharingan for this! Naruto, take Hinata outside! Hinata, you've done well, now go outside and calm yourself down!"

Naruto nodded, walking up to Hinata and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Come on, I'll treat you to some ramen," he whispered quietly as he led her outside and shutting the door. Another scream from Sakura, and Hinata couldn't take it anymore.

Hinata fell to her knees, her face in her hands. Tears trailed down her cheeks. Naruto crouched down to her level, looking at her worried.

"Hinata-chan, hey-"

"Naruto-kun, I'm so sorry!" She sobbed. "I-I-If only I was s-s-stronger and d-d-did it right, Sakura wouldn't be in this state! S-S-Sasuke-san wouldn't be so a-a-afraid for her! If only-"

"Hey, don't listen to that asshole!" Naruto yelled as he grabbed her shoulders. "He should be thanking you instead of getting mad!"

"N-N-Naruto-kun, it's o-o-okay if he's mad..."

"No, it's not! If you didn't do what you just did, Sakura-chan would have been dead already! The enemy probably already put the genjutsu as backup or something! It's not your fault!"

Hinata continued crying. Naruto embraced her into a hug, her tears wetting his clothes.

"I'm scared that Sakura might die because of me..."

"She won't. Sakura's too strong and also..." Naruto paused for a moment, moving his head back a bit so he was looking into Hinata's eyes. For the first time, she did not feel her face turn red just by looking at him. He smiled.

"Sasuke would never allow it."

Remembering everything she saw radiating from Sasuke, all those different emotions and sudden angry outburst towards her, it began to make sense.

Hinata reminded herself that she would forgive him, even when he won't ask for it. Sasuke was going through so much that it surprised Hinata he was capable of it.

* * *

"W-w-well? What happened to Flower?" Sou asked, slightly worried. "And Raven? Did he ever say sorry?"

Hinata put up a finger. "Be patient, and knowing Raven, he doesn't apologize. At least, not in an obvious way..."

* * *

Hinata sat in her bedroom, unable to do anything but worry about Sakura's well-being. She looked outside the window, hoping for any sign that everything was going to be alright. She knew that Sakura's death would result in not just the loss of a life. Hinata feared what would happen to Sasuke as well.

_He was so angry, like never before..._Hinata remembered. There was a knock on her door. She turned to it. "Come in."

The door slid open, revealing her cousin Neji. He looked at her calmly. "I heard about what happened today. Are you alright?"

She nodded weakly. "I'm fine. We should be more worried about Sakura."

"I heard that she will live, but won't wake up for another week," Neji informed. Hinata let out a sigh of relief.

"Hinata, you did nothing wrong. Sakura is still alive."

Hinata's face fell. "B-B-But I could have done more. I-I-If Sasuke-san didn't use his-"

"The next time I hear Uchiha treating you like shit for saving Sakura, he will answer to me," Neji interrupted, sounding as if he wanted to see Sasuke's dead body right now. "Especially since he chose you out of all of _us._"

Hinata looked up, puzzled. "W-W-What do you mean, Neji-niisan?" Neji let out an exasperated sigh.

"You're not exactly the only Hyuuga in Konohagakure, Hinata. I was still in the village and no offense, you're not exactly up to par with me," Neji said. "And yet, he sought your help. Don't put yourself down too much, Hinata. Do you know how said it is when Uchiha has more confidence in you than yourself?"

Hinata let out a chuckle. She looked outside the window. Her eyes then turned to a small blanket on her chair and she grabbed for it. She looked into her cousin and smiled.

"Neji-niisan, thank you." Hinata walked past her cousin, heading towards the front door. Neji looked at her as she put on her shoes.

"Doesn't Sakura already have a blanket?"

"It's not for her," Hinata replied with a smile.

She shut the door behind her as she left her manor. She walked silently as darkness shrouded Konoha, yet the stars lit up the night sky. She reached the hospital, walking down its hallways until she reached the room where Sakura was. She did her best to open it as quietly as she could. She stepped softly inside the room, a bright smile appearing on her face at what she saw._ Just as I thought._

Sakura slept peacefully on the bed but next to her, Sasuke sat on the chair, his head laying next to hers. His eyes were closed while he breathed softly. Hinata saw that his hands were clutching Sakura's tightly, as if never wanting to let her go. Their fingers entwined with one another, impossible to separate. Hinata tried her best not to giggle at the romantic scene. She still couldn't believe the many sides she saw of Sasuke's today. And all because of Sakura. She walked quietly over to him and took out the blanket she brought. Carefully, she placed it over his back, making sure he was fully covered.

His bangs blocked his face, allowing no one to see what was really going on in his mind. Their positions were so romantic, yet so full of hope and worry. Their hands held each other in a relaxing yet straining gesture. Sasuke and Sakura, sleeping by each other. Hinata smiled. She hoped this would not be the last moment the two would spend the night with each other. She didn't want to disturb their silent moment together. She turned around, heading towards the door.

"Red bean soup and miso ramen with lots of roasted pork fillets."

Hinata's eyes widen when she heard that. She turned around. Sasuke didn't move an inch. He remained his position, not bothering to look up to Hinata.

"W-W-What?" Hinata whispered, puzzled. Why was he talking to her?

"Naruto's favorite food. Make his favorites, he'll be coming back for more," Sasuke said quietly. Hinata didn't move. She smiled. Sasuke really was hard to understand and yet, so unexpected.

"Thank you, Sasuke-san. P-Please, stay with Sakura, as long as you can. Goodnight," She said warmly but once again, she heard his voice.

"Hinata," He said. She never thought he actually knew her name other than the surname. Even when he called her "Hyuuga," he always said it so rudely.

"Y-Yes?" There was a long pause.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Awwww, Raven is learning to be nice now!" Yuriko exclaimed dreamily.

"Yeah, but why didn't he say 'sorry?' That idiot," Sou joked.

"Raven had strange ways, but I guess his way of apologizing was telling me Naruto-kun's favorite food," Hinata explained with a warm smile. She looked down at her son, he stared back with his giant blue eyes. His tiny fingers reached for his mother's cheeks, before he let out a giant yawn.

"Tired now, aren't you, Minato?" She said, rocking her son back and forth. Hinata turned to Yuriko and Sou.

"I'm sorry, but it's time for Minato to sleep. Please try to be quiet for the moment," She asked nicely. The two kids nodded.

"Don't worry! We're going to go outside! Ne, ne, Auntie Hinata, who knows the next part?" Sou asked. Hinata took her time to think for the moment. Her face was in delight.

"How long has it been since you guys visited the Nara's?"

The faces of the two kids lit up instantly. They jumped up and down, cheering "Yay! Thank you, Auntie Hinata! Bye, Minato-chan!" Within a second, the two kids were out the mansion and running down the streets. As she looked on through the window, she couldn't help but break into yet another smile. Her eyes looked below her, finding something out of place. There was a frog on the window stool.

"Oh, Hinata-sama, big guy wants to know what's for dinner?" The frog spoke plainly. She looked outside at the disappearing figures of Yuriko and Sou. The memory once again resurfaced to her mind.

"Miso ramen with lots of roasted pork fillets and red bean soup."


	9. The Never Ending Lotus

Chapter 9: The Never Ending Lotus

So the two kids arrived at a tall, blue house. They knocked on the door, which opened to reveal a man with spiked, brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. He had a stick in his mouth, sighing at the sight of the two.

"More kids? How troublesome," He greeted in an unorthodox way. Nonetheless, he moved aside to let Yuriko and Sou in.

"Konnichiwa, Uncle Shika!" They greeted cheerfully as they entered inside the house. Shikamaru closed the door behind him, leading the two to the living room. Sitting in the living room was a woman with long blond hair and ocean blue eyes. She wore a simple purple kimono with a happy glow on her face. Sitting on both sides were two identical babies. Both had brown hair and dark eyes with pacifiers in their mouths. They turned around to face the visitors. Their eyes widen at the strange sight of their father with two new kids. The woman, however, smiled pleasantly. She clasped her hands together in delight.

"Ada! Yuriko! Sou! Konnichiwa! You guys sure are getting bigger each time I see you!" Ino exclaimed cheerfully. "Come on, have a seat."

Yuriko and Sou nodded as they sat on a couch across from her. Shikamaru took a seat next to his wife, taking one of the twins into his laps. Ino turned her attention to their visitors.

"So, what brings you two here?" Ino asked.

"We want to hear "The Tale of the Raven and the Flower!'" The two replied in a hyper tone.

"The Tale of the what?" Shikamaru and Ino asked simultaneously and confused. Sou let out a huge moan.

"How come nobody knows until we tell the darn story?! Anyway..." So Sou and Yuriko told the story up to when Flower was in the hospital. When they finished, Ino let out a giggle. Shikamaru cursed. "Only Naruto could make such a stupid title."

"Ne, who are they really? Nobody's telling us," Yuriko asked.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, the Hokage didn't tell you? They're actually-"

"SHIKAMARU SHUT YOUR MOUTH BEFORE I DO IT MYSELF!" Ino screamed into his face.

"What's wrong with just telling them?" He asked, slightly annoyed.

"Cause it's a story, Shikamaru! You don't reveal the most important part until the end!" She exclaimed loudly. "Don't just cut straight to the end! Let's tell them our part!"

"Yay! Thank you, Auntie Ino!" The two kids cheered. Ino grinned happily in return.

"So 'Raven stayed the night she got hurt? I never knew that! That's so romantic, right Shikamaru?" She said dreamily before sending a glare to her husband. He flinched as he turned away from her.

"So, this is what we learned., but you need to know something first. In my flower shop, we once had an extremely rare flower called The Never Ending Lotus. It grows once every 50 years, only two at a time, like twins. Legend has it that if you kept one and gave the other to the one you loved most, then the both will live happily ever after. Now see, I was just returning from a mission with you Uncle Shikamaru and Chouji when we saw..."

* * *

Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji were tired. They had just completed a difficult mission that asked from them to aid another ninja in a death battle. Luckily, it was a success, but all of them were covered in dirt and wished to land on the bed right away. They walked down the streets, exhausted. And yet, Shikamaru could not help but stare at his female teammate. Her long, luscious blond hair that swayed so delicately behind her back. Her brilliant blue eyes shined so well that would melt any man's heart. Her perfect, slim figure that would be so perfect for rocking on the bed-

* * *

"Ino, stop making stuff up, and I did not think like that," Shikamaru retorted, slightly blushing. "Don't go perverted in front of children, you troublesome woman."

"Ha! You know you always wanted to!" Ino grinned victoriously. "We have proof!" She immediately pointed to their twins with a victorious smirk. "Anyway, lets get back!"

* * *

Ino groaned loudly. "Mou, I'm so tired! That mission was way too long! I want to just go to the spa and have a nice massage!" Some drool spilled from her mouth at the though of it.

"Nobody wants to massage your uptight back," Shikamaru remarked lazily.

"Shut up! Any man would be lucky to touch this body!" Ino declared as she struck a model-esque pose. The two boys sighed.

"Anyway, I got to head back home, guys," Chouji said before turning around, waving his teammate goodbye. "Later."

"Bye Chouji! Ne, Shikamaru, come by my flower shop with me; my otou-san wants to give something to your dad," Ino told him. Shikamaru nodded lazily.

"Damn, now I have to walk even longer with you. This stinks," he complained. Ino puffed.

"Hey! You're lucky to be able to spend time with me in the first place! Don't take it for granted!" She retorted before glancing the other way.

The two continued walking down the road to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She couldn't wait to get back to the flower shop. Her family was lucky to be able to pick the only pair of The Never Ending Lotus and she thought it was the most beautiful flower she ever laid eyes on. It had small red petals sprinkled with golden sheen on it and Ino could not describe the scent well enough. Her mother explained the scent varied with one another, depending on who they wish for. The first time Ino smelled it, it smelled like the calmness of nature combined with a breeze and grass. Unfortunately, the only day she saw it, she immediately had a mission afterward. Now that she was back, she could stare at it all day and wait for the moment for a special someone to buy one for her.

"Happily ever after..." She sighed dreamily. Shikamaru glanced at her with a confused look. He cringed.

"Women."

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" She was on her way to grab his neck until-

"Konnichiwa, Ino! Shikamaru! So glad you guys are back! I hope the mission was well?" A cheerful voice boomed.

Ino and Shikamaru turned around. They had already arrived at the flower shop and standing in front was her father. Like his daughter, Mr. Yamanaka had long blond hair. He looked interesting today as though he was still wearing his normal jonin attire, he was also cladded with an apron decorated with tiny flowers. Ino grinned and hugged him tightly.

"I"m back otousan! Where's oka-san?" She asked.

"In the shop. She'll be happy to see you," Her father replied before smiling brightly at Shikamaru. "Shikamaru, looking more like your father everyday. Come inside. I want you to give him something." Shikamaru nodded before the three went inside the shop.

Just as it said, there were flowers everywhere. Some where hanging, some laid in shelves, and some were practically growing from the ground. Shikamaru always found this shop incredibly comforting and wouldn't mind spending a whole day in here if a certain teammate wouldn't yell at him constantly. Ino looked around the shop, slightly worried.

"Hey, otousan, where's The Never Ending Lotus?" She asked, biting her lips. "Don't we still have it?"

"Oh yeah, it was sold just a few minutes ago!" He exclaimed. Ino looked like she was about to faint.

"WHAT?! B-B-B-BUT NO! SOMEONE WAS SUPPOSED TO BUY IT FOR ME! WHICH STUPID BASTARD TOOK IT?!" Ino yelled threatening. Her father and Shikamaru cowered in fear.

"Ahhahaha...sweetie, how do you know i-i-i-if the person d-d-didn't buy it for you?" Her father asked, trying to please her. Ino opened her mouth, but before any words came out, she blushed madly. She let out a pout.

"But if you're curious, it was actually Uchiha Sasuke!" Her father answered with a smile. "I don't know him well, but it seems unlike of him from what I hear. I wonder who the lucky lady who caught his eyes is?"

When he turned to look at the two, he raised an eyebrow. Ino and Shikamaru's eye sockets were wide enough for a golf ball to fit right inside of them. Their jaw could basically touch the ground.

* * *

"Raven bought flowers for Flower?" Sou exclaimed before looking up to the ground. "Whoa, neechan, try saying 'flowers for flower' five times fast!"

"Sou, stop being stupid!" Yuriko complained. "Anyway, did he really?"

Shikamaru scowled. "Psh. What really happens-"

"SHIKAMARU DO NOT GO STRAIGHT TO THE END! THEY HAVE TO KNOW THE WHOLE STORY FIRST!" Ino growled. He remained silent once again as her face returned to the cheerful look. "Anyway, our immediately assumption was that he was buying them for Flower. So when we heard it, we just couldn't help but..."

* * *

"There he is!" Ino whispered harshly as she and Shikamaru hid behind a wall. She glanced carefully at a figure walking slowly down the streets.

Her father was right. The unique red petals, the scent she could smell even from far away, was in the hands of Uchiha Sasuke. She couldn't see his face, only seeing the back. She grunted. The two lotuses were in the bouquet along with some roses. He was walking rather slowly and incredibly relaxed. Only one thing was on his mind. She grinned devilishly.

"Mou, looks like Sakura is one lucky woman!" Ino exclaimed with excitement. "Who knew Sasuke could be such a romantic!"

"Maybe they're not for her," Shikamaru added rather annoyed. "Maybe he just bought it for decorations."

"Shikamaru, you idiot! If he bought it, he must know its significant! It's the most expensive flower!" Ino yelled angrily. "Only Naruto would be dumb enough to buy it just because it's pretty!"

Sasuke sneezed, which made the two panic. They resumed their hiding positions. Suddenly, Ino's eyes widen. _His chakra-_

She turned around to the streets. Sasuke was there no more. He had suddenly vanished. Ino let out a loud curse, before glaring at her teammate. She pointed to the direction forward.

"Come on, Shikamaru! Let's head to Sakura's place!" Ino exclaimed, as if they were on an adventure. She grabbed his arm forcefully. "If he bought those flowers, he's bound to give them right away!" The two began walking, or more like, Shikamaru being dragged. He moaned.

"Why the hell do I let you boss me around?" He muttered bitterly. Either way, he had no control of himself now.

The two walked (Shikamaru dragged) for several minutes to the way of Sakura's house. When they arrived, they found another hiding spot at the roof of the opposing house. Sakura's house was just a simple, two story one. They would be able to have a good view this time. They did not have to wait long for Sasuke to arrive. Just as Ino saw, there was a bouquet of flowers in his hands, including the Never Ending Lotuses. She was shaking with excitement. Shikamaru, on the other, looked at Sasuke in disbelief. Sasuke knocked on the door.

The door opened to reveal a certain pink hair girl. When she saw the sight, an immediate blush formed across her cheeks.

"Eh? S-S-S-Sasuke-k-kun?" She gasped, mesmerized by the flowers in his hands. "W-W-What's t-t-this all of a sudden?"

Sasuke looked at her sincerely, as if desiring to feel the pain of refusing to smile.

"Sakura, I haven't been the best with you, but after what happened at the hospital..." He bit his lips before staring into her deep, jade eyes. "I can't keep this up anymore. Who knows what could happen any minute? I need to cherish all I got with you wisely and that's why..."He pressed the flowers to her. She couldn't help but stare at him in shock and with so much happiness.

"Sasuke-kun..." She felt him grab her waist, bringing the two closer. She could feel his hot breath against her.

"Sakura...I could never forgive myself if you were gone. You don't know how much you mean to me..." He whispered into her ears. His breath tickled her skin. Sakura couldn't hold back any longer. Her hand reached to touch his cheeks, and a smile came across her face.

"Well then, will you let me know?" She asked suggestively. Sasuke smirked. Within a second, Sasuke was dragged into her house, locked the door, had their fun on the bed, and-

* * *

"THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!" Ino cried victoriously. "Wasn't that beautiful, you guys?" Tears of happiness started to form in her eyes, proud of herself.

"Ino, that was far from what happened."

"SHUT UP SHIKAMARU! I'M BEING CREATIVE HERE!"

"But you still gotta stay true to it."

Ino pouted. "Fine, why don't you tell the story then, lazy butt?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Alright, Raven and Flower are really-"

"FINE! I'LL TELL THE REAL STORY!" Ino yelled, glaring at her husband. Yuriko and Sou exchanged odd looks with one another.

"Okay, the truth is. Yes, Raven did disappear all of a sudden. And yes we did go to Flower's house, but what really happened there..."

* * *

"Told ya Sasuke wouldn't be here," Shikamaru remarked when they arrived at Sakura's house. They were at her front steps. It had already been an hour since they last saw Sasuke with the flowers. Ino grunted.

"Damnit! Maybe he's just waiting for the perfect moment! Anyway, I'm going to have a little talk with Sakura-chan about her and Sasuke!" Ino giggled deviously before knocking on the door. "Shikamaru, I got a plan."

He raised in eyebrow. The door opened, revealing a smiling Sakura. The two girls hugged each other.

"Sakura! Ooh I'm so glad you're okay now!" Ino exclaimed. "I hope the hospital room wasn't too shabby?"

Sakura shook her head in delight. "Why would it? I work there almost everyday!" She leaned to the other side, her eyebrows raising at the sight of Shikamaru next to her friend. She leaned to Ino's ears, a sly grin forming on her face.

"Hey Ino-pig, are you and Shikamaru..." Sakura stopped and giggled. Ino immediately blushed.

"Of course not, Sakura! We're just friends!" Ino retorted, not wanting to look at Shikamaru anymore.

"I was going to ask if you guys were heading to Tsunade-sama's to fill in your mission but if you thought it like that..." Sakura could barely contain a laughter. Ino's face grew scarlet red.

"Speaking of that, what's going on between you and Sasuke?" Ino asked, making it her turn to take control. Now it was Sakura who was starting to grow pink, as if matching her hair.

"N-n-nothing's going on!"

"Oh really? I heard he freaked when you got hurt," Ino added with a grin. "A bit too much, don't you think?"

"It's cause..." Sakura couldn't continue, and Ino knew why. Even if they were teammates, let alone friends, Sasuke would never act that way. It was too unlike of him. Even when he came back, he was probably a lot more colder than before. For such a sudden showcase of emotion to Sakura, Ino could only think of one reason. And she knew that Sakura was not dumb enough to see it. Those two were in denial. She just knew it. Now, not only did she have to prove it, she had to find out why those two were keeping this up. As hard as it was to picture Sasuke as loving, it was indeed possible, but only with Sakura.

Ino smirked. "Lost of words eh? So have you and Sasuke engaged in any you know..." Sakura squeaked.

"O-o-o-of course not! How could you think like that, Ino-pig?!" Sakura exclaimed angrily. "We just..."

Both Ino and Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, but Sakura stopped. So something did happen. Ino's grin couldn't get any wider. She just had to find out. It was getting so much more exciting. The longer Sakura remained quiet, the more curious Ino grew. Ino was quite aware Sakura would never tell such a thing. She was expecting that. Ino placed her two hands together, as if to form a seal. Before Sakura could utter a word, her eyes suddenly widen, the iris disappearing for only a brief moment. Then, the color returned to Sakura's eyes. At the moment, Ino's eyes shut and her body fell into Shikamaru's arms. As he grabbed onto her body, he looked up to Sakura. A smirk was on her face, followed by a punch in the air.

"Alright, Shikamaru! Let's go find Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed with a determined look. "There's no doubt that Sasuke really loves Sakura now! All we have to do is find him and get some info out of him! Now listen to my plan."

After Sakura (really Ino) whispered into his ears, Shikamaru sighed. "Women."

* * *

Sou looked at the blond woman in awe. "You can possess people? That's so cool! Can you possess Uncle Naruto to give us later bedtimes?"

Ino laughed at loud. "Oh, you crazy kids!"

"Sou, stop interrupting! I wanna hear the story!" Yuriko complained. "So, Auntie, what happens next? Was it actually true?"

"We didn't know," Ino replied softly. Yet. "But anyway, it wasn't long until we found Raven..."

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was taking one of the many walks down the roads of Konohagakure. He walked with a composed face of calmness and yet sent off the feeling of a cold shudder. He had the coolness, people would see, yet unapproachable. The perfect idea that infatuated girls.

His eyes blinked rapidly for a moment. Something was off from the view in front of him. Rather, the correct term was a bit familiar. A girl sitting a on a bench. To be more precise, a girl with pink hair. Her fingers were clutching the hem of her skirt tightly as her hair fell over her face. Sasuke couldn't tell her facial expressions, but probably assumed she was not in a good mood. He walked up to her for a closer inspection. His eyes still remained calm.

"Sakura."

Her head shot up. She gasped at the sight of him. Immediately, she leaned back, farther away from him. Sakura smiled weakly, a hint of pink creeping to her cheeks. She faced the ground.

"Oh! S-S-Sasuke-kun, I didn't see you there! S-Sorry!" She apologized. "I was just thinking about something."

"Aa," came out his reply. For a moment, he thought he saw the girl twitch a bit. Her hands touched the stone bench, not far from Sasuke's body.

"Don't you remember this place, Sasuke-kun?" She began, somewhat sadly. "It's the place I last saw you when you left for Orochimaru."

Sasuke was still, nothing moving. He saw her face look up to his. There was a smile, indeed. But a rather fake one as anyone could tell.

"Why were you remembering that?" He asked in a monotone. Her smile looked more painful than before.

"I thought you knew."

None of them moved for what seem like the longest moment. Jade and black orbs were locked with one another, none able to move away from the other. One's face had the lost hope that still yearned for it. The other face was unreadable, almost as unpredictable as the future itself. To Sakura's surprise, he took a seat next to her and her shocked expression did not go away. Rather, it grew even more as he inched his face closer to hers. Sakura felt her breathing paced quicker. Her heart was beating frantically like a madman on a drum. His nose grazed hers. He narrowed his eyes.

"Sakura, do you remember what I last said to you that night?" He whispered calmly as his breath warmed Sakura's skin. She nodded.

"You said I was important to you," She replied. Sasuke smirked.

"And you are." Suddenly, Sakura felt something warm against her skin. He was actually...

* * *

"Ino, are you cooking something?" Shikamaru suddenly said, his nose sniffing something strange. Ino glared dangerously at him.

"WHAT THE HELL SHIKAMARU?! I WAS GETTING TO THE GOOD PART, DAMNIT!" Ino screamed into her husband's face, not giving a care of the children heard her cursing. Suddenly, her face was ghost pale. She clasped her cheeks.

"ACK! I MOST HAVE GRILLED THE ROAST BEEF TOO LONG!" She cried as she scurried into the kitchen. "Oh no!"

Sou, Yuriko, Shikamaru, and the twins glanced at her with raised eyebrows. Small amounts of black smoke were escaping from the kitchen. They watched Ino frantically pull the beef out of the stove. They saw that Ino had pulled out what appeared to look like a boot. It smelled horrible. Ino moaned.

"Mou, this stinks! And to think Chouji was finally coming to have dinner with us tonight too," Ino sighed.

"Chouji can't make it anyway. He got an extra day of substituting the ANBU captain," Shikamaru replied. Ino let out a strange noise.

"What?! But it's been ages since we last had dinner with him!" She yelled from across the room, then turned to Yuriko and Sou. "This is all your daddy's fault, you know that right?!"

The two kids giggled. "Uncle Shika, did Raven kiss her? Hug her? Confess his love?"

Before Shikamaru spoke, he saw his wife's glare. He knew what it said. And what would happen if he didn't comply to it. He let out a gigantic sigh.

"This is troublesome."

* * *

Hey guys! I know it's been over a week since I last updated and I'm real sorry about that! Anyway, I just want to let you guys know heads up that I'm going to be quite busy from now. Don't be surprise if it takes me longer than usual to update now. Why? Well, track season is starting at my school and I've been conditioning like crazy. I do the jumps, which people, don't underestimate it. It's hella tough and competitive. Also, I have this huge sophmore project that determines whether I pass the grade or not, so I need to concentrate on that more. Sorry if I can't update as quickly as I wish to, but please, bear with me. Thanks for all the kind reviews. I read them all cause honestly, there's not much, but it means a lot to me. Thanks for reading my story! I really hope you guys enjoy it.


	10. The Flowers

Chapter 9: The Flowers

Okay so I made a tiny mistake in the previous chap. That was chap 8, NOT 9. Sorry bout that, if anybody caught it. Just wanted to clear it up. This is the REAL chapter 9. Okay, now enjoy! Oh yea, did u guys no the dalai lama twitters? he's my sophomore project topic. I wonder if I could interview him through it? ^_^

Oh in case anybody wanted to know, this is NOT set to the current Naruto storyline. Yes, I know Sasuke goes evil keenevil and murdered Danzo and Sakura is possibly tricking him by joining him blah blah...yea...

Anyway, I'm really excited for Valentine's Day not just because I have someone to share it with, but also cause its Tet, Vietnamese New Years baby! Yes, so first, me and my guy are gonna get hot and sweaty and rough and dirty.

Conditioning for track and field of course ;).

Yes, it sounds crazy that we still have practice on Sundays but hey, that's how we get good and win medals haha. Other than that, I'm not gonna spend anytime with him cuz ill be too busy setting off firecrackers. It's fine since there's 364 other days to spend quality time. For those who don't have boyfriend or girlfriend, don't feel bad or lonely. You got a whole year to celebrate love. It just so happens one of them is this sunday. Anyway, enough with my blabbering, on with the story!

* * *

Sakura cringed when she felt Sasuke's hands on her stomach. She looked up, her face nearly frozen. His expression was too calm.

"You will help me rebuild the clan, whether you want to or not," Sasuke said in a monotone. Smoke came out of her ears like a train. However, her mouth instantly curved into a smirk. She reached to her pouch, took out a pair of handcuffs, and stuck them on to Sasuke. He looked at it, puzzled.

"W-W-What the hell?! S-Sakura?!" He cried, almost grabbed the collar of his shirt, her smirk looking more evil than ever.

"Now then, slave, where were we?" She licked her lips before she stood up and dragged the Uchiha across Konohagakure in chains. Daylight never met his eyes again.

* * *

"And so, the lesson of this story is to never trust women; they're always scheming something," Shikamaru ended with a lazy tone.

Sou was shaking in fear as he nodded. Suddenly, the kids saw a fan hit Shikamaru hard across his cheeks. He rubbed it, not even bothering to moan. They saw their aunt's extremely pissed off face.

"SHIKAMARU, YOU HYPOCRITE! TELL THE DAMN TRUTH!" She barked into his face. Shikamaru thought for a moment his wife was a troll. He let out a sigh.

"Fine, fine," He replied obediently. Ino returned to the kitchen, now making another batch. Shikamaru leaned against the couch, taking both his twins into his lap. He stared at them, absent-minded. And suddenly, his insides felt warm. _I guess I can bear it with that woman. I did marry her._

"Anyway, forget what I just told you, even though that's what should have happened..."

* * *

Shikamaru watched from afar, hidden in a tree, at the sight he just saw. Sasuke and Sakura were sitting next to each other on the bench, him leaning closer. Her eyes widen when she saw his fist immediately slam against Sakura's stomach, making her fall into the cement. With her pink hair in the way, she looked at Sasuke, slightly distraught.

"S-S-S-Sasuke-kun? W-What's going on?" Sakura asked in pain. "Has this all been j-j-just a lie?"

"Cut the crap, Yamanaka. Shouldn't you be with your boyfriend?" Sasuke asked plainly. He stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Sakura's face was flushed with redness. She glared at him angrily, both hands tightened into a fist.

"Eh?! I-I-I-I don't think of Sh-Sh-Sh-Shikmaru like that!" Sakura yelled through anger and embarrassment. When she realized that Sasuke never mentioned Shikamaru's name, she brought her knees together, hiding her face from the world. Shikamaru jumped out of his hiding spot, crouching next to Sakura. He let out a heavy sigh before turning his attention to Sasuke. The dark-haired boy still had his calm composure and yet, Shikamaru could see some displeasure in his eyes.

"Sasuke, how did you figure out it wasn't Sakura?" Shikamaru asked curiously. The Yamanaka's clan technique was nearly impossible to tell. _Unless-_

"Sakura knows what I really told her and this isn't the same bench I left her," Sasuke answered, turning his face away from the two.

Shikamaru and Ino couldn't tell what his expression was like as he went on.

"Besides, we're not on good terms."

Shikamaru smirked. _Maybe Sasuke really did have true intentions with the girl, asking Ino questions like that_. Sakura gave him a smug look. She bit her lips, but they formed a small grin quickly.

"So Sasuke, when do you plan on giving Sakura the flowers?" Ino, as Sakura, asked slyly.

Sasuke glanced behind them. He raised an eyebrow at the two, slightly puzzled. "I never bought any flowers."

Ino (in Sakura's body) immediately got up, her face tightening up. She pointed an accused finger at Sasuke with an annoyed expression.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB ON US, UCHIHA! WE SAW YOU WITH THE NEVER-ENDING LOTUSES! YOU'RE GOING TO CONFESS YOUR LOVE TO SAKURA, HUH?! HUH?!" Ino exclaimed victoriously.

Sasuke stared at them, a bit irritated from her loud, obnoxious voice. "You wished Nara was the one that bought it for you, huh?" He stated plainly.

"SHUT UP AND DON'T CHANGE THE TOPIC! AND THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Sakura retorted as she blushed even more madly. "ANYWAY, WHERE ARE THOSE DAMN FLOWERS?!"

"I didn't buy any flowers," Sasuke replied calmly. He turned his heel, starting to walk away. "Go return Sakura's body back."

Inside of Sakura's body, Ino was beginning to flare up. She didn't know how many more outbursts she had to make for Sasuke to reveal the truth. She saw him with the damn flowers already. He was just being stubborn, as always. Just as she was about to beat the bloody pulp out of him, Shikamaru tapped her on the shoulder. She glared dangerously at her teammate.

'WHAT NOW, SHIKAMARU?! I NEED TO BEAT SASUKE FOR NOT CONFESSING HIS LOVE!"

"Isn't that the Never Ending Lotus?" He asked while pointing to the side. Ino looked towards the direction, and her jaw practically fell to the ground. The flowers were in the hand of none other than-

"N-N-Naruto?!" She stuttered in shock.

* * *

"WHAT?! UNCLE NARUTO HAD THE FLOWERS?!" The two kids screamed loud enough for their voices to echo across the village. Shikamaru slapped his hands against his ears upon hearing them.

"Geez, you kids can scream," He complained. "Remind me why you guys are your father's kids again? Either way, I want to finish this part first..."

* * *

In front of her was something she would never expect. Naruto and Hinata were facing each other. Hinata's face, as always with Naruto, was completely red and her eyes bounced everywhere to not look at his face. Naruto grinned cheesily as expected but in his hands was a bouquet of flowers composed of red roses and as Shikamaru said, the Never Ending Lotus. He pressed the bouquet to Hinata's chest. She squeaked.

"N-N-N-Naruto-k-kun? I-I-I don't understand!" Hinata gasped as she stared dreamily at the flowers."A-A-Are you..."

"Eh?! Naruto really does return Hinata's feelings?!" Ino whispered excitedly. Now she really didn't care how this happened. She was finally glad Naruto was not thickheaded as she thought. She smiled brightly. _About time Naruto..._

"You like flowers, right Hinata-chan?! Well since you did such a good job helping Sakura-chan, I thought you should get some for being such an awesome friend!" Naruto exclaimed proudly, shoving them into her hands. "Aren't they pretty?!"

Hinata's eyes widen. "W-W-What, d-d-d-do you k-k-know what that f-f-flower is?" She stammered, pointing at the Never Ending Lotus flower. Naruto had a puzzled look on his face as he stared at the unique Never Ending Lotus.

"Oh that one? I never seen it before but boy was it expensive!" Naruto cried without a single clue. "It was worth more than all these flowers! Anyway, since you've been a really good friend, I just bought them for you!"

Hinata nearly fainted in disappointment. "W-W-What?!" Naruto still had his cheesy grin. Ino let out a strangling noise.

"What...the...FUCK NARUTO?!" Ino screamed through Sakura's body as she charged the blond boy and snatched him by the collar. Naruto squeaked like a little girl when he saw Sakura's face of death inch closer to his as she growled.

"S-S-S-Sakura-chan?!" He stuttered as his face paled, unaware that his teammate was currently possessed.

"NARUTO, YOU IDIOT! HOW THE HELL DID YOU END UP WITH THE NEVER ENDING LOTUS WHEN SASUKE WAS THE ONE WHO BOUGHT IT?! MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT'S THE REASON YOU BOUGHT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?! NOT ONLY DID YOU GIVE IT TO HINATA, BUT JUST BECAUSE IT LOOKED PRETTY?! HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET?! YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BE HOKAGE AT THIS RATE!"

"Ahahahahaha....well this really cute girl who didn't let me in the sweets shop so I transformed into Sasuke-teme and yea...." Naruto chuckled nervously, unaware that his teammate was really Ino. "But seriously, Sakura-chan, you gotta hold onto him tight! He's such a ladies man, I got a bunch of free stuff just by changing into him!"

Sakura's fist met with Naruto's cheeks, making him fly backwards by nearly 100 feet. Naruto moaned in pain as he laid there with his butt facing towards the sky. Ino, as Sakura, growled dangerously with a pissed off look.

"Damn you Naruto...always ruining every potential romantic moment..." She said in disgust.

Shikamaru walked up to her side, letting out a heavy sigh. "Well this turned out to be a waste of time. Anyway, go back to your body before Sakura fights back."

Ino nodded in disappointment. They returned back to Sakura's house, where Ino's body laid on the couch. Sakura performed a hand seal and said "Kai!"

Two pairs of eyes immediately shot wide open. Ino sat up from the couch as Sakura regained consciousness. She rubbed her stomach, wincing in pain.

"Ugh! God, my stomach hurts like hell!" Sakura cried, clutching her torso. When she saw her friend on the couch, she glared.

"Ino! Why the hell did you possess me?! And explain why my stomach hurts!" Sakura demanded as she sat next to her friend. Ino chuckled nervously, wavering her hands in front as a defense against her best friend.

"Now, now, Sakura, calm down! I was only being a good friend, that's all, haha!-Anyway, what's wrong with you and Sasuke?" Ino quickly asked. Sakura was taken back for a moment.

"What do you mean? There's nothing wrong," Sakura answered, though Ino could sense to hesitation.

"He said you guys aren't on good terms," Shikamaru spoke before Ino did. "And assuming you guys weren't on that little 'date,' something's going on between you guys."

Sakura scowled. "Oh, please! Sasuke-kun's not capable of a date! The only time he talked was about Konoha and Danzo or whatever! I don't care about him anymore."

When Sakura said that, Shikamaru noticed that she tensed up slightly. She had a determined look on her face and yet her fingers twiddled with each other. She faced the ground, no matter how strong she wanted to look. Ino placed a hand on Sakura's back, smiling sadly.

"Sakura, you're a bad liar," Ino said softly and kindly. Shikamaru never heard that tone in Ino's voice before. She was always yelling his head off so violently and here she was, so nice and kind. If only she was like that more around him, maybe she wouldn't be so troublesome to him.

"Oh Sakura, if only you knew how Sasuke speaks of you when you're not with him," Ino continued. Sakura's turned slightly to face her friend, but there was still a frown.

"Ino, I know where you're trying to head but trust me, it's not gonna happen," Sakura said with a hint of pain. "Once I loved him, but three years is too long to keep it that way."

Sakura leaned against her couch after her setence, letting out a sad sigh. Shikamaru immediately saw Ino's eyes sadden.

"Oh, Sakura," She whispered. The two friends sat next to each other, both in pain. One over a hopless love and one over the fact she could not help the other. Shikamaru walked to the front door, opening it, and going outside the porch. He closed the door behind him. Those two needed to be left alone. This was no place for a man to be, because women work their best when together, whether in happiness or pain. That was what Shikamaru learned and was secretly envioius about when it came to women. As he walked farther from Sakura's house, his mind lingered on the topic of Sasuke and Sakura longer than ever. Yes, he couldn't tell if the Uchiha was indeed in love with the girl or not but Shikamaru knew something for sure:

_Sasuke still remembers certain moments between him and Sakura alone. He really does care about her._ Shikamaru face tightened, a worried look on his face slowly forming in the evening sky.

* * *

Shikamaru yawned as his twins tugged onto his robes. "And there you have it," He finished, as he was raising his hands to his ears, preparing for the expected.

"WHAT A STUPID STORY! HE DIDN'T EVEN GIVE FLOWERS TO FLOWER!"

Shikamaru sighed, lowering his hands to surround his twins. "Well, if my story is so stupid, guess you guys don't wanna hear the next part-"

Yuriko and Sou started jumping up and down excitedly. "No! No! No! It's great! It's fantastic! Please tell us! Please! Please! Please!" They brought out their wide, puppy eyes to him. Shikamaru stared at them lazily and yet a bit annoyed.

I can't believe I have to deal with this when the twins get older, he bitterly thought. Their parents are smart, leaving them so they won't have to handle this stuff.

"Alright," Shikamaru replied in defeat as the two kids cheered in victory.

"So, lemme remember...Oh yeah, this was a couple days later. I was walking home from the Hokage's Tower when I passed by Flower's house and saw something out of the ordinary..."

* * *

The stars glittered the night sky. It was like any other night, but for some reason, Shikamaru found it to be really beautiful tonight. Maybe it was the fact he was glad to be done with the Godaime's lecture about him being lazy about the Chuunin Exams and how he was supposed to be in charge of it. Maybe it was the fact that for this morning, Ino was actually nice to him and treated him to some homemade ohagi. And maybe it was because of what he saw as he passed by a certain pink-haired girl's house.

He stopped his movements when he looked at her house. One window was still lit with light and Shikamaru could easily see something that wasn't there before. Her window perch, which was once empty. was now adorned with a vase filled with delicate cherry blossoms. Shikamaru knew they were new. He always passed by Sakura's house while going home and he never saw it until tonight. He had only one theory about who gave them to her and he would soon find himself right as always.

Shikamaru walked along the road even farther until he met face to face with Uchiha Sasuke. The dark-haired boy was also taking a stroll. Both acknowledged each other silently with a nod. As Sasuke passed by, Shikamaru glanced at something unfamiliar on the boy's head. A petal. A cherry blossom petal. It was caught in Sasuke's head full of black hair. When the boy was out of sight, Shikamaru smirked like never before.

"Now, that wasn't so troublesome huh, Sasuke?" Shikamaru whispered to no one in particular.

* * *

Sou stared at Shikamaru with gigantic, wide eyes. "So he really did give her flowers?"

Shikamaru nodded slowly. "I'm highly sure. It was soon after that things started to take a good turn for both of them. Raven and Flower started spending more time together. Both were rarely seen without the other."

"Were they dating each other after?" Yuriko asked with high anticipation.

To her disappointment, Shikamaru shook his head. "No, they were just trying to fix their friendship. There was no deep affection yet. They just spent a lot of time with each other, I guess. Every time we saw them, Raven was always quiet and reserved while Flower always had a smile, trying to tease him."

Yuriko pouted, her cheeks puffing. She crossed her arms across her chest, blowing her hair away from her face. "Mou, when is there gonna be a story where they really fall in love?"

Shikamaru leaned back against the couch, distracting his attention from the two kids to his twins. He poked one of their cheeks, who started giggling. It pleased Shikamaru inside. The other twin let out a loud yawn and immediately laid his head on his father's lap. The second was quick to follow suit. Shikamaru rubbed both their backs. He glanced across to the kitchen, where his wife was. He smelled the scent of a new piece of steak being cooked and made. A content smile appeared across his face. He was glad how things turned out for him.

"You know, word has it that a certain person saw a special moment between Raven and Flower."

Sou and Yuriko's jaws dropped. They quickly stood up and gathered around their Uncle Shika, inching closer to his face.

"What did they do? Did they kiss? Hug? Confess their love for each other? Have fun under the sheets? Get married? Proposed to her? Who knows it? Or is it something bad? No, it can't be bad! Mr. Inuzuka told us it ended happy! Or maybe he lied! Whatever, what did they do?! TELL US!" They pleased. Shikamaru hushed them, motioning his twins that slept soundly on his lap.

"Now, now, you guys. The man who knows this story is easy to find," Shikamaru explained quietly. "I'm sure you're familiar with a certain man who always wear a green jumpsuit?"

It took a few seconds for the kids' face to light up in delight. They faced each other and excitedly, said at the same time:

"Mr. Lee!"

And once again, the two kids began the next step of their adventure hunt for the story. They said goodbye to the Naras and began their sprint to where the next person laid. Shikamaru watched as the door shut violently due to their childish impatience. Carefully and strategically, he positioned his sons so that their heads were on the couch inside of his lap. He picked up a small blanket and covered the two bodies. They breathed in a high-pitch and Shikamaru took a moment to stare at his sons. They looked so peaceful and content, just like their father. Shikamaru leaned down to kiss both of of their heads. He walked quietly to the kitchen, pausing to look at Ino attempt to cook the new steak. He snuck up behind her, encircling his arms around her tiny waist. He heard her giggle when he kissed her neck.

"I love you, Ino," He said quietly and affectionately.

"Shikamaru, what's this all a sudden?" Ino asked as his kisses tickled her.

"I just felt like it, especially after telling them that story," Shikamaru replied as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Since the kids are sleeping, I was thinking..."

She slapped him playfully on his hands, laughing. "No, I gotta finish making dinner! It's going to be the best ever! But you know, maybe afterwards..."

Shikamaru grumbled. "Chouji's not coming though."

"Hey, you shouldn't be happy about that!" Ino argued back innocently. "Ever since he became an ANBU, he's always busy! We gotta spend more time with him whenever he can! If only he wasn't still substituting. Shouldn't the 'captain' be back by now?"

Shikamaru shook his head, chuckling.

"Yuriko and Sou's father likes to take his time."


	11. What the Handsome Devil Saw

Chapter 10: What the Handsome Devil Saw

Sou panted heavily as he and his sister walked lazily on the roads. They were slugging now after such a long day. Yuriko tried her best to stand tall and powerful, yet could not help but slouch her shoulders. Yet they were too stubborn to stop. They had a story to finish and they intended to find it as quickly as possible, no matter what.

And then Sou's stomach growled.

"I'M HUNGRY!" He cried loudly, his knees falling to the ground. Yuriko turned around, her eyebrows narrowing. She glared at her little brother.

"Sou, you wimp! Get up! It's going to be late if we don't find Mr. Lee in time! Auntie Hinata will get mad if we're late for dinner!' Yuriko barked at Sou as she grabbed his arm, forcing him to stand. "Besides, do you know what today is?!"

Sou exasperated. "I don't care, neechan! I'm not moving unless someone carries me!"

Before Yuriko could say anything, another voice beat her to it:

"Will you allow me to carry your little brother as training, Yuriko-san?" A voice asked politely yet hyper-actively. Yuriko turned around, her face suddenly turning aghast. She stepped back a bit, her hands in front of her face like a shield. She cringed.

"G-G-G-Gaimaru...." She stuttered in disgust.

In front of her was a boy her age and was about the same height as her. He wore a kimono top with the typical ninja shoes. His black hair was cut into a bowl shape and his eyebrows were incredibly large, even for a child. His big round eyes were so lashy, any girl would be jealous of them. He smiled at the girl, a blush appearing on his face.

"Yuriko-san, let me do the favor of helping your little brother!" He pleaded, entwining his arms together in front of his chest. "I'll do anything to please the prettiest girl in Konoha!"

"No!" She screamed, rubbing her shoulders as if shivering. "K-K-Keep your creepy eyebrows away from me..."

Gaimaru's eyes slanted sadly. He looked like he was about to cry. "Yuriko-san, I hope you are not still angry that I beat you last week in that taijutsu match! Please forgive me! I did not want you to be unhappy and make you think you were weak!"He bowed to her as if she was a queen.

Yuriko's eyebrows twitched, slightly annoyed. She rolled up her sleeves, forming a fist in her hands. She gritted her teeth angrily.

"How dare you assume I'm so stupid to think myself weak! I was just going easy on you that day! I am Yuriko, daughter of the ANBU captain, a child of the-"

"Yay! Thank you, Gaimaru-niichan!" Sou cheered as he ran over to Gaimaru, who complied to the little boy's order.

"SOU! DON'T SIDE WITH HIM!"

"But neechan, Gaimaru can take us to his daddy! He knows the story!" Sou pouted as he wrapped his arms around Gaimaru's neck. Yuriko let out a scowl of defeat. It was true. Gaimaru's father was the one they were looking. Gaimaru lifted the boy on his back and to Yuriko's shock, began dashing down the road.

"Come on, Yuriko-san! I shall take us to my father if that is what you wish!" Gaimaru cried as he ran, almost disappearing from Yuriko's view.

The girl began her sprint, gasping in annoyance. "Mou, I hate boys!"

And so, she chased after Gaimaru and her brother until they reached the lake. Several trees surrounded the lake like a fortress, yet only a huge cherry blossom tree adorned the scene beautifully, the petals dancing along the simple breeze of the evening. The lake shimmered with the sun's red rays as it was starting to set. Yuriko thought she could sit here for days without getting bored. It was such a pretty view. She heard someone calling her name. She swifted her head around, seeing the sight of Gaimaru, her little brother Sou, and an older man. The man was practically the adult version of Gaimaru, except he was dressed in a green jumpsuit, orange leg warmers, and the flak jacket all the jounins and chuunins wore. Delighted, she ran up to them, bowing to the man.

"Konbaiwa, Mr. Lee!" She greeted respectfully to the man. Lee smiled as he ruffled with the girl's hair.

"Yuriko-chan, my have you grown! Gaimaru here tells me you are strong at hand-to-hand combat as well as a sword, I see?" He asked cheerfully with his deep voice. Yuriko nodded vigorously.

"Hai! Otousan has been teaching me in his spare time! He promised to teach me the initiation jutsu when he returns home!" Yuriko exclaimed with pride.

"I see..." Lee whispered. "Such a powerful father-daughter bond...As expected from him..."

Suddenly, his head twisted to face his son, Gaimaru. He threw a fist in the air proudfully, and to the amazement of Yuriko and Sou, tears were spilling from his eyes. However, they were of happiness and some crouched down to his son's level, placing his arms on Gaimaru's shoulders. He snifled.

"Gaimaru, do you hear that? Yuriko-chan's father has been teaching her whenever he can, and yet I have not been able to do it for you!" Lee cried. "Will you forgive me, for not being able to give you such a special moment?"

Like his father, Gaimaru began to weep. "How could I not, otousan?!" He whimpered as his tears fell against the cloth of his father's jacket.

"Gaimaru!"

"Otousan!"

"Weirdos..." Yuriko mumbled. Sou looked at it with an odd expression.

"Neechan, I can't believe you lost to _that_ guy-"

"Shut up Sou before I burn your butt."

Sou gulped and nodded. After the father and son's touching moment, they cleaned up their tears. Lee looked down to the two other kids. "Now then, Sou-chan, Yuriko-chan, what is it that you seek from me?"

"Uncle Shika told us that you saw a special moment between Raven and Flower?" Sou exclaimed. Lee looked at them confused. he opened his mouth, but his voice did not come out. Instead, it was interrupted.

"Yeah, you probably don't know what we're talking about. Let us remind you 'The Tale of the Raven and the Flower,'" Yuriko stated. And so, Yuriko and Sou told them the tale from the beginning to Raven and Flower healing their friendship. When they finished the story, Lee looked at them smiling, almost tearful. He nodded his head.

"Yes, I know this story quite well," Lee answered. "And I'm am honored to say I have witnessed a very tender moment between them."

Sou, Yuriko, and Gaimaru sat down a circle as Lee sat in the middle, beginning his story.

"Raven and Flower were practically inseparable at this time, whether it was out of friendship of love, one could not deny they had deep affections for the other. But then it all became clear at this very place more than 10 years ago..."

* * *

Lee had been jogging around the village for practically hours and although his clothes were wet from sweating, it did not decrease his energetic mood that radiated from his body. He shouted battle cries, earning him weird looks from the fellow villagers, even though they were quite aware that this was usual for the boy. Lee punched the air several times in a certain motion, jumping to kick whenever possible. And when evening came, Lee did not stop. It was not until he was passing by the lake with the cherry blossom tree that he saw a sight he did not want to see. He was a figure, a girl, leaning against the tree. Her knees were against her chest, her arms around them. He could hear her whimper.

_Sakura-san..._Lee thought, when he realized who it is. She was crying. A look of determination came to his face. He began to move to her direction when he sensed the presence of another person. Lee quickly hid behind a bush, peering through the leaves. Another figure was coming closer to Sakura. Lee's eyes widen.

"Sasuke-kun?" Lee breathed out, a bit confused. He didn't know why he felt that way. Lately, he had always seen Sasuke and Sakura together, both usually looking relaxed and content with the other. But now, it was quite different. Sakura was sitting there under Sasuke's too calm eyes. Sasuke stared at her. Sakura lifted up her head a bit, revealing her red eyes from crying. Sasuke was motionless and his expression did not change.

"Sakura..." Sasuke spoke. He stretched out his hand towards the girl. Sakura nodded, reaching out to his hand with her soft and tender one. But then, her hand formed into a fist and suddenly, she stood up aiming at Sasuke. Sasuke dodged it swiftly and without much effort. He did not seem surprised from her unexpected action. Sakura darted her eyes back to him, glaring and crying at the same time. Lee was at a loss of breath.

"I have to stop them!" He whispered to himself. But his body would not comply to his mind. Deep down, Lee thought he shouldn't interrupt this, that those two must solve it for themselves. Something had happened, and he wasn't sure why. He wanted to leave the two alone, and yet he couldn't. He was too interested in Sasuke's development since his return. Sakura, on the other hand...he couldn't really describe what she was feeling at the moment. She was indeed sad from her crying and angry from her sudden punch. What Lee wanted to know most was why.

"Is it true?" Sakura asked through her hot tears. Lee perked up.

"What's true?" Sasuke asked calmly, not understanding her words.

"You know what I mean, you murderer! You actually worked with Akatsuki?!" Sakura yelled, attempting to throw another punch at him. Once again, he dodged it but she swung around. As she tried to land a punch on him, Sasuke caught it this time, making the two frozen at the spot. Sakura still glared at him.

* * *

"OH. MY. GOD." Sou and Yuriko shouted in complete shock. "RAVEN. IS. A. BUTTHEAD."

Lee chuckled nervously. "Please, children, allow me to finish. If you don't, you would not realize that-"

"WHO CARES?! FLOWER SHOULD BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF HIM! GIRLS ARE BETTER THAN BOYS ANYWAY!" Yuriko interrupted rudely.

Lee sighed, returning them a relaxing smile. Sakura-san did actually do that to him after that one time, but they do need to know that.

"Please, children, I ask you to remain quiet if you wish for this story to be heard," He requested politely. "And so, Flower said..."

* * *

"You actually hunted down a jinchuuriki...someone just like Naruto..." Sakura continued as more tears spilled from her eyes. She was boiling angry, and yet she couldn't help but let her emotions wet her porcelain face. "You murdered innocent people...You killed a girl who was your own teammate..."

Sasuke's grip on Sakura's fist tightened. Lee thought his face looked startled for a moment.

"So you found out," Sasuke said.

Those words didn't help Sakura. Instead, she began to ferociously wiggle her hand out of Sasuke's hold, but he wouldn't let go.

"Why, Sasuke-kun, why?! Why did you even think about working with those bastards?! Were you planning to get Naruto too?! I thought that after you killed Itachi, you would have returned to Konoha but no! You ended up just like him!" Sakura cried angrily.

Lee gasped when he saw Sasuke's dark eyes brighten into a bloody red. His sharingan was on. it radiated a dangerous mood. Sakura cursed when Sasuke's grip on her tightened. Lee was about to stand up, until he heard Sasuke speak.

"You don't know anything." His tone sounded so dangerously, and yet Lee could sense some fear in them.

Sakura looked up to Sasuke. She no longer looked angry, but Lee wished he could have said that about her tears. They continued dripping down like a waterfall. They wouldn't stop. Not only that, her eyes were wide for the longest moment ever. Both never blinked, the two locked in a staredown. Lee could tell that the sight of Sasuke with his sharingan on frightened the girl. No matter how tough Sakura was, she still could not face those eyes. It was as if they served as a reminder of a terrible memory none were aware of. Sakura's body began to shake, but Sasuke did not appear affected by it.

Sakura sniffled, choking up every last breath she could. Sasuke did not waver his position at all, his sharingan still on. However, his eyes were softer now as he looked down at the pink-haired girl. After a few minutes, the girl was no longer whimpering, although the tears kept coming. She and Sasuke were once again caught in a stare with each other. She took a deep, almost confident breath and spoke:

"Why did you come back?"

Sasuke was still upon hearing her question. Lee bit his lips in anticipation. And the next series of actions had definitely caught him off guard.

Sasuke's eyes returned to their normal state. They looked more vulnerable than Lee ever saw. It was the first sign of emotion Lee ever saw on the boy. Sasuke kneeled down so that he and Sakura were at eye level with each other. His hands gently cupped her cheeks, his thumb finger wiping away her tears. Sasuke's lips moved, inaudible to Lee's ears. Next thing Lee knew, Sasuke pressed his lips against Sakura's. Sakura was taken aback from such an unlikely move from the boy but it only took seconds for her to comply to it. She placed her hands gently on his chest as he wrapped his around her body, bringing her closer to him.

Lee was on the verge of tears. He had never seen anything so beautiful until now. A boy and a girl. One who was practically a human ice cube and one who's smile could warm up anybody. They way they held each other, kissed each other, was a bond that could not be broken. Lee wished he had a tissue to blow his nose. This moment was so dear and cherished. He wished he would leave their privacy alone but Lee couldn't help it. It was a rare and wonderful sight. It was breathtaking. Lee had always saw Sakura get heartbroken by Sasuke's coldness back in their genin days. But today, he could clearly see how happy she was in his embrace. Sasuke had changed for the better.

"It's so beautiful..." Lee whispered while he cried silently in joy. "Gai-sensei really was right about the greatness of youth..."

Sasuke and Sakura's lips departed from each other, both taking heavy and quick breaths. Sakura leaned her head against his chest, which he did not fight back. Instead, he went on to rest his chin on her head. He massaged her back gently as Sakura's tears wetted his clothes. She clutched his shirt, digging her face into his chest even more. Lee caught a quick glance of her smile through her tears. Sasuke, meanwhile, still retained his calm composure and yet, his eyes were soft.

"Don't leave me," Lee heard Sakura whisper painfully.

Sasuke smirked at her. He leaned his forehead against hers, their noses touching."No. Not even tonight."

She smiled, even though she was still crying. Because she was happy. Lee had never seen a more romantic scene than what laid before his eyes. The amount of tears spilling from his eyes could rival Sakura's at the moment. He hiccuped.

"Sasuke-kun, you really are cool!" He whispered through his hiccups. "Deciding to train with Sakura even to such late hours! What a great way to power up such a special bond!"

* * *

"And so it became official: Raven and Flower were together and nothing could keep them apart," Lee finished with a smile. "They could never replace the other. Raven, as cold as he had been, had made Flower the happiest girl in the village. And Flower melted his heart, which had been living in darkness for too long."

Yuriko sighed in joy. "That sounds so romantic!" She giggled in a girlish tone. Sou stared at his sister, quiet scared of her unusual tone. It differed greatly from her tough demean that he knew very well was similar to their father. A thought lit up in the boy's head.

"Neechan, are you thinking that Hyuuga Kouji should do that to you?" Sou asked innocently with a sly grin.

Ignoring her little brother's face, she clasped her cheeks, blushing happily. "Oh yes-WHAT?! NO! NO! NO!" She quickly recovered, turning to her little brother angrily. "I-I-I-I DON'T THINK OF K-K-KOUJI-KUN LIKE THAT?! BESIDES, H-H-HE'S A HYUUGA AND-"

"But Uncle Naruto said if you add the 'kun' to a boy's name, it's like saying he's your boyfriend!" Sou laughed deviously. "Yuriko and Kouji, sitting on a tree! K-I-S-how many 's' are there in 'kissing?'"

"SOU! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Yuriko-san, please do not harm your little brother! I do not wish to see you fall so low to go against what a true ninja should be!" Gaimaru exclaimed in a worried tone.

"SHUT UP FUZZY BROWS! NOW COME HERE SOU SO I CAN SHOW YOU THE NEW TAIJUTSU COMBO OTOUSAN SHOWED ME!"

Sou screamed loudly while trying to escape his sister's terror. Gaimaru chased after them to save the poor boy while Lee couldn't help but laugh cheerfully at the scene.

"Oh, how I wish to be youthful again!" He exclaimed in delight, clapping his hands to applaud the scene. Suddenly, Lee's eyes were distracted by the sudden appearance of another figure. The new person was wearing an ANBU mask along with a black ninja outfit. Lee turned to him and bowed.

"Glad to welcome you back," Lee greeted respectfully. "You mission has been too long."

"Yes it has, quite troublesome actually," The ANBU spoke. "I overheard your little story about Sasuke-san and Sakura. You seem to jump way ahead of conclusions."

Lee frowned. "It's unnecessary to tell the rest to those kids. It's best if they do not know who they are."

"You wouldn't mind if I did, would you? You are not their parent anyway."

Lee stiffened a bit, but sighed in defeat. "I wouldn't suggest telling them at such a young age, Sai-san."

The ANBU walked away from Lee, heading towards the kids. The ANBU took off his mask, revealing his pale face. Sai had a serious look on his face.

"They may still be young, but I believe they deserve to know about the moment about the man who would later betray their mother's heart."


	12. The Betrayal

Chapter 11: The Betrayal

Two common questions I've been getting which I need to clear up.

Where are Sasuke and Sakura? It'll be revealed in the later chapters. I hope you guys can bear with me :)

Who married Lee? I've always assumed it's just some random girl in Konoha. No main characters. sorry!

Anyway, back to the story!

* * *

"Ne, ne, neechan, why are we going to the Tower?" Sou asked his sister as they were walking.

"Auntie Hinata said that Uncle Naruto has a surprise for us!" Yuriko replied as she led the way. They had just finished dinner when their Aunt Hinata announced that the Hokage wanted them at the Tower, having a surprise.

So they reached the Tower, bowed to the guards politely, stated their business, and soon they entered. The climbed up the stairs as fast as they could but to their disappointment, there were more stairs than they thought, therefore grew tired quickly. It was only when they reached the top that a smile was upon their faces at the sight of a very familiar figure. In front of them was a man probably in his late 20's. He had short dark hair, extremely pale skin, wore the Konoha forehead protector, and was cladded in the ANBU uniform. In his hands was the ANBU mask. He smiled at the two kids in return.

"Konbaiwa, Yuriko, Sou," Sai greeted. "It's been quite a while."

Within a second, the two kids ran up to the man and hugged him tightly across his legs and stomach.

"You're back!" They cheered in delight.

"It's been like forever!" Sou exclaimed.

Sai couldn't help but laugh at their innocence. "What do you mean? The mission was just a few months."

"That's _forever_, silly!" Sou giggled. The two kids released the man so they were now looking up at him.

"Ada, Yuriko, you're hair is a lot longer and prettier now," Sai noted as he ruffled with the girl's hair. "Growing it out for a special boy?"

Yuriko blushed. "O-O-Of course not! Boys are disgusting!"

Sai chuckled. "Okay, as you say. What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you guys be home for dinner?"

"Auntie Hinata said Uncle Naruto had a surprise for us," Sou explained. "Is he still in his office?"

"Yes, but he is at the moment busy with the Elders," Sai answered. "According to the adults, you guys have been running around to hear a certain love story. Care to tell me how you got that curiosity?"

Yuriko reached to her pocket and took out the hear-shaped necklace they showed to the Hokage before. Sai looked at it with utmost confusion. And then he smiled. _What a coincidence for these two to find it..._

"Uncle Naruto looked at this and all of a sudden, started telling us 'The Tale of the Raven and the Flower,'" Yuriko explained as she dangled the necklace in front of her face. She began reciting everything she heard about the story to Sai. "But I haven't heard anything about the necklace so far."

"That's because you must hear the entire story before you reach the conclusion," said Sai quite seriously. The two kids raised their eyebrows.

"What do you mean? The tale is over. Raven and Flower kissed and they lived happily ever after," said Sou, puzzled. "What else is there left?"

Sai bit his lips, as if fighting inside over a decision. He motioned to a chair beside the wall, which the two kids nodded. They walked to the chair and took a seat as Sai stood in front of them. He took a deep breath.

"Sometimes, happily ever after doesn't come so easily."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Sou asked, a bit panicking.

"This may be hard to believe, but..." Sai trailed off, wondering if he was going to regret telling these kids this. They were young, but in his mind, it was better when they were young. If they were older, they would not take it as easy. "

"Raven's love for Flower had turned out to be a complete lie."

Horror struck the children's faces. Their body shook as if was incredibly cold at the moment. Sou parted his mouth, but no words came out. Yuriko, on the otherhand, tightened her fist and immediately erased any sign of shock on her face. Her eyebrows furrowed and she frowned.

"What do you mean?! Why would someone lie about their own feelings?!" Yuriko yelled angrily. She couldn't, no, wouldn't believe it. All the stories she had been told ended happily. The ones her mother told, the ones her aunt told, the ones she read in books. There may have been moments of hardships, but the hero always managed to find a way.

Sai let out a sigh. "When you become a ninja, you will understand why."

"I don't care! Why would Raven do that to her?!"Yuriko asked, furious at the revelation.

He stared at them with a blank expressions. _I hope their mother doesn't kill me for this..._

"Before you guys were born, there once was an an politician named Danzo. He was once my leader. More importantly, he was an extremist in politics, quick to violent ways over peaceful terms for Konoha. He did anything he could to protect the village. He was once considered for the position of Hokage. Apparently, one of those violent ways affected Raven greatly. And the darkness was revealed at the one incident..."

* * *

Sai ran quicker than he had ever ran. he jumped over or knocked down all the branches in his way. He and the other ROOT members were given an emergency secret message only Danzo knew how to send. It was a message of danger. Danzo was in a fight. He was in trouble. He had called for help. And the Root responded immediately if not in a bit of shock after reading the name of the enemy they had to kill:

_Uchiha Sasuke_

Like every ROOT member, Sai kept a calm expression on his face as he had always been taught. But for some reason, inside, his feelings were like a jungle. They were unsteady, jumpy, and always unexpected. Sasuke, out of all the people. Sai wasn't sure if he was supposed to be surprised or not. Unsurprised at the fact that it was Uchiha Sasuke, who once left the village to seek power from Orochimaru. And once he attained that power, he went against the Snake Sannin and killed him as well. After that, Sasuke completed his revenge of Itachi, only to end up taking his brother's place in Akatsuki. And just before, Sasuke had returned to Konoha for what purpose? Sai had half the idea, but he wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that one should not trust Sasuke easily.

And yet, Sai couldn't help but feel a bit surprised for Sasuke's actions. He often read books about feelings, emotions, and friendship. But everytime he saw Sasuke and Sakura together, he got more answers just by looking at them than all the books he read combined. They did things that wasn't quite what was described in the books and he was curious what they were. In the early days of Sasuke's return, the two had ignored each other often, hoping not to meet eye to eye. He found this confusing. The two were once teammates and yet, would not even talk. A book mentioned that after a horrifying act could destroy the friendship and strand it for quite a while. A couple weeks later, he saw the two walking side by side. Sakura was laughing and smiling joyfully while Sasuke had quite a calm, yet content look. She would talk lively to him while he listened quietly and obediently. Sai observed that their fingers at both sides barely grazed the other, as if silently entwining with each other without the two noticing. Sai wondered why it was like that, people holding hands. He tried to do it with Naruto but instead, the blond boy stepped backwards, calling him names like "queer" or "creep." Sai was puzzled at the idea of holding hands.

And so, he went to the next person that was best at answering emotions: Captain Yamato. Sai asked the man, who was at a tea shop at the time, about holding hands. Yamato had choked on the tea he was drinking when he heard it was between Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, trying to make him confirm whether it was true or not. Sai had nodded, obediently and still confused.

"Were the two happy?" Yamato had asked him.

"Happy?" Sai had repeated. He nodded. And then, Sai knew why, a content feeling arriving in his supposedly emotionless state. His theory would later come true when he overhead Naruto screaming throughout the village of how he saw Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura in a very special, private moment. Naruto was seen with a bruise on his cheek later that day.

"I see them! Just up there!" The ROOT member next to him cried.

Sai finished the remembrance and concentrated on arriving at their destination. They landed on the ground to a very disturbing scene.

Uchiha Sasuke had just struck Danzo in the chest with his kusunagi. Both of them had several scratches, wounds, and blood all over their body. The ROOT members, to their surprise, saw that Danzo's arm was covered entirely of sharingans. Danzo coughed out blood.

"D-D-Damn y-y-you...U-U-Uchiha..." Those were his last words before he fell to the ground.

Sasuke extracted his sword from Danzo's body, causing more blood to spew from the now dead.

"That's one down." His tone was deadly.

In a second, several ROOT members had surrounded Sasuke, who seem not to move. All of them ran towards him with various weapons and jutsus they were about to perform. Before they could come in contact with his body, blue electricity swirled around Sasuke, causing all the ROOT members to fly back. Sai gritted his teeth as he tried to get up from the attack. Of course. He had seen this before. He should have avoided it. Sai drew out his scroll and brush but he suddenly found himself against a tree with a sword through his shoulder. Blood spurted out of his mouth. Sai cursed. He looked up into the dark, vile eyes of the Sharingan. Once again, electricity flowed throughout the sword and into Sai's body. He held his mouth in order not to scream. He felt his body shaking, yet could not move it on his own will. Sasuke's expression did not change.

"B-B-Bastard..." Sai choked out before Sasuke plunged his sword deeper into him.

"You're in no position to say such things," Sasuke spoke calmly, completely different from the look on his face.

And then, a vivid image of his one-time team consisting of Naruto and Sakura. He remembered the hardships they had faced in order to get Sasuke back. He remembered their tears after they had failed the first time. And more importantly, he remembered the smile Sakura had when she was with Sasuke.

"Uchiha...what was Haruno Sakura to you?" Sai asked as he coughed once again.

To Sai's dismay, he saw Sasuke's mouth curve into a devious smirk.

"A tool."

* * *

"A tool? You mean..." Sou repeated as he stared at the ceiling. He had an airy look on his face."Flower was actually a hammer? She wasn't human?"

Sai hung his head down and sighed at their childish ways. _Kids. Maybe I shouldn't be telling them this..._

"No, it's a figure of speech," Sai explained. "When I say that Raven used her as a tool, it means that he supposedly gotten close to her only so he could get to Danzo."

"Then why didn't you just say that" Yuriko asked in confusion.

_Are children really this naive?_ Sai asked himself.

And then, two pairs of eyes widen in complete horror and shock. They clasped their cheeks simultaneously and turned to face each other.

"RAVEN REALLY IS A BUTTHOLE!"

"HE'S THAT 'BAD WORD' UNCLE NARUTO ALWAYS CALLS PEOPLE HE HATES BUT AUNTIE HINATA WON'T LET US SAY!"

"Why would Raven do such a thing?!" Yuriko cried in disbelief.

"I didn't know yetand I was lucky to find out later," Sai continued. "Raven would have killed me at the spot if some reinforcement did not come. After I recovered from that incident, my presence was requested for the Godaime. It was there where a conclusion was made..."

* * *

"Uchiha Sasuke is an international criminal," Tsunade stated simply and yet darkly.

The Hokage's office was not a comfortable place to be and Sai half-wished he was still resting on the hospital bed. In the room along with him and the Hokage were also Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. Kakashi, as expected, retained a very uniform expressions, keeping a calm posture. Naruto, as expected, was furious. Sai thought for a moment, Naruto's eyes were red and dangerous like the Nine-Tail itself. Naruto had slammed his fist so hard there was a crack on the Hokage's desk, much to her annoyance.

"What the hell do you mean, Tsunade-bachan?!" Naruto yelled angrily."Sasuke-teme is not a criminal! He's changed! He's-"

"He murdered Danzo and plans to destroy Konoha," Tsunade interrupted as she formed her hands together to create a platform for her chin to rest. Her eyes were stern.

"Naruto, he's with Uchiha Madara."

Naruto's eyes widen. "N-N-No...T-T-That man is supposed to be..."

"Dead?" Sai interrupted. "Supposedly. But when the ANBU came to help, Sasuke attempted to destroy us all until a man in a mask appeared. He had a sharingan and a power unlike anything I've seen. Danzo mentioned it to us once, but I never believed until that moment: Uchiha Madara is alive."

Naruto slammed his fist on the desk once again before stomping towards the door. "No! This can't be Sasuke! He's being manipulated! I'm sure of it! We're going to bring him back again! The real Sasuke wouldn't-"

"Naruto, don't be hasty!" Tsunade barked. "You must listen more! I've spoken with the other Kages and according to new information, Sasuke had also done terrible things to each of their villages. Me and the Kazekage were opposed to it, but the other Kages decided that if Uchiha Sasuke was caught, his punishment is the death sentence."

Naruto froze. He turned around to face the Godaime again. His hands were still tightly gripped into a fist. "No...We're not gonna let that happen! Right, Sakur-" He stopped himself when he looked at his friend.

Sakura had not spoken a word, but stood at the center of the room, shaking uncontrollably. He saw her eyes dilated to make her eyes look ever larger and more vulnerable. Strands of her hair dragged over her face, giving her a very unkempt look. She was holding herself, with her arms across her chest. Naruto couldn't hear her whimper as he saw tiny beads of tears slowly form upon her green eyes. Sai may have seen her cry before, but this was even worse.

"I'm such an idiot..." Sakura spoke. Her voice was tiny, soft, and almost breaking. "I should have known..."

"Sakura-chan?"

"It's all my fault," Sakura continued, trying to be as strong as she could. Sai could see that, and he knew why. Sakura once told him that she had been the weak one, always needed protection. After she found out about the losses her teammates faced, she couldn't just stay behind the lines anymore. She had to help and get stronger for them. But right now, Sai thought she should just let out and not hold herself back. This was not a moment for strength.

"Sakura-chan, what do you mean?" Naruto questioned, hoping it's not what he thinks it is.

"S-S-Sasuke-kun was being nicer to me lately," Sakura said with a bitter smile. "We spent more time together. If we talked, it was always about something understanding, like his clan and his past. But most of the time, he asked about Konoha, Danzo, the Elders, stuff like that, and I would answer it. The more I answered, the more caring he got but now..."

The room was quiet after she said that. Tsunade had a sincere look on her face as she stared at her apprentice in a maternal way. Tears were finally dropping to the ground. Sakura faced below her to avoid anybody staring at her sight.

"I was so stupid!" Sakura cried. "I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama! It was stupid of me to think he was capable of changing for the better, capable of having feelings for me!"

"Sakura-chan, don't say that!" Naruto argued as he placed a hand on her shoulder as the girl wept. She tried to control it but could not. Her knees buckled next to each other, her body refusing to kneel at the ground. Sai saw that she was deep down, quite a stubborn person when it came to her feelings now.

Sakura swooshed her head furiously towards Naruto. "Naruto, just give it up! There is no hope for Sasuke-kun! He will never change and if he did, he'll end up worse than Madara himself!"

Naruto bit his lips. "Sakura-chan..please...it's Sasuke..."

Naruto was answered only with cries. He turned to the Godaime, who only nodded in return. They conversed with their eyes. He helped Sakura and led her to the door, where the exited the room. Now, only Sai, Tsunade, and Kakashi were left in the room.

"Why does she cry so hard for Sasuke if she is angry with him?" Sai asked calmly.

"Emotions are incredibly complex, especially to a person like you," Kakashi answered. "My best answer is that she is still in love with Sasuke and probably will always be, no matter how hard she tries not to."

"Do you think Sasuke actually pretended to love Sakura?" Sai asked again.

Again, the room was quiet for a few moments. Sai remembered all those instant moments when passing by, those two together, content and relaxed with one another. He was a ROOT member. It was easy for him to read people's face, no matter what kind of act they put up. He did not read any lie in Sasuke's face and yet, when they had battled, he had the devil's face. Or maybe was that the act. The cruelty. The revenge. He wasn't sure anymore. Sasuke was indeed a complicated person, with his horrible past and record.

And then Kakashi spoke:

"I don't know."

* * *

Sai closed his lips and took a moment to look at the kids' reactions. A twitch came to his forehead. I knew it. I shouldn't have told this. Now their mom will kill me.

Yuriko and Sou sat still. Their faces were in complete awe and disbelief. Sou whimpered slightly, brushing tears away from his ears. A hiccup escaped his mouth.

"R-R-R-Raven changed after, r-r-right?" Sou asked, his cheeks puffing up. "K-Konoha is still here, so he must have said sorry."

Sai was about to speak until the girl sitting next to Sou beat him.

"Sou, don't be stupid," Yuriko spoke, her bangs covering her eyes. "No one can pretend to be that evil. No one can just change after doing something so horrible."

"Yuriko..." Sai whispered.

"He died, right? Raven?" She asked, too sternly for a young child herself. Sai noticed her face was not in sadness as a typical child should have had. They were serious and far mature than she should be. "If he planned to attack the village and it's still here, he's dead."

She scoffed. "He deserved it, hurting her like that."

Sai seemed annoyed. "Oi, Yuriko, do not say things like that. I never should have told you guys this, especially since he's-"

Sai stopped himself when he saw the girl stand up from the chair. She walked up to him and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for the story, Uncle Sai," She said politely and strongly. "I learned a good lesson about being a ninja."

Sai raised an eyebrow. "What did you learn?"

Yuriko turned up to look at him. Suddenly, a small toad jumped in between the three. It was red and had yellow eyes. He had a stick in his mouth.

"Oi Sai, a message from the Hokage," he spoke. "He thanks you for keeping the kids busy while in the meeting. And also to let you know..."

The frog took out the stick in his mouth and glanced at the two kids, grinning.

"ANBU captain Kirin is back."

Immediately, their expressions changed. Instead of their gloomy mood, a bright smile substituted their tears and anger. It was as if they had never heard that terrible ordeal but instead, a simple fairy tale with a happily ever after that was always promised.

"That means-!"

* * *

"You're late, Kirin," Homaru, the Elder, stated in slight annoyance. "We've had quite a few problems because of that."

"Seriously. You should realize the responsibilities you hold as captain now," Koharu lectured, her gray strands falling on her face despite being tied into a tight bun.

Inside the Hokage's office, Naruto was leaning back against his chair. He sat there, relaxed and relieved, despite now having to listen to the Elders lecture to the ANBU captain in the room. He could not believe the Elders, who now stood at the side of his room patiently, were still alive and well enough to demand several things from him over a series of days. He wondered when they were going to retire. Naruto faced a man, who kned on the ground before him. He was dressed in the typical ANBU uniform, with the gray armor and black outfit. Across his waist was a sash, representing his captaincy and high rank even among the ANBU's. His face was covered with the ANBU mask as he faced the ground.

"Hokage-sama, Elders, sorry for the delay of my return," He spoke. The ANBU had a deep voice. "I hope the burden was not too much."

"Don't worry! We had Akimichi fill in your spot for the time being!" Naruto sighed cheerfully. "Just avoid Ino for a while! She's pissed that since Akimichi had to fill your place, he couldn't eat dinner with her and Shikamaru! Also..." The Hokage grinned.

"Babysitting your kids was quite interesting."


	13. A Worthy Sacrifice

Chapter 12: A Worthy Sacrifice

"OTOUCHAN!" Yuriko and Sou cried cheerfully as they burst through the door and tackled the ANBU captain down so all three were on the ground. Sou immediately yanked off his ANBU mask and all three began laughing at the sight of each other. He ruffled with both of his kids' hair, smiling.

"Children, I'm sorry, but we're-" Koharu began to speak but saw Naruto shake his head, glancing at the family. The female Elder sighed, but let out a weak smile.

"Who are you guys? I don't remember having such impatient kids," The ANBU captain joked as he got up. The children giggled.

"We missed you, otouchan!" Sou exclaimed as he hugged his father. "You and Okachan were gone too long!"

"Ne, ne, where's okachan?" Yuriko asked as she looked up.

"She has some things to do at the hospital," He replied. He crossed his arms, smiling at his children. "Now, all that traveling makes me wanna eat some ice cream. If only I had some kids to-"

"Yay!" The kids cheered.

The ANBU captain asked for permission to leave and resume their conversation the next morning, which Naruto and the Elders agreed. The three exited the building and began walking to the sweets shop. Upon their arrival, all three ordered ice cream cones and sat down, eagerly waiting for it. Sou and Yuriko stared at their ice cream cone greedily before munching down on it like a wolf. Their father sat there staring at his kids as they told him more of their adventures, from pillow fights to stories to small fights with the other kids.

"And then Gaimaru used this weird taijutsu move on me!" Yuriko bitterly complained. "Otouchan, can you train me tomorrow? I want to beat him

Their father smirked. "Not even in the Academy yet and all you want is to beat all the boys. At least you're not chasing them."

"Y-Y-yeah, cause boys are stupid! Sou, you should train with me and otouchan too!" Yuriko's cheeks had a tint of pink.

Their father shook his head. "No, too young. Sorry, Sou."

"It's okay, otouchan, I don't know if I want to be a ninja now," Sou replied with a sad smile.

Their father raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Sou?"

Yuriko let out an exasperated sigh. "Man, Sou, stop crying over that! That was a true story and what's expected as a ninja! Get over it, you big baby!"

"Yuriko, don't call your brother names," Their father lectured. "And what story?"

"'The Tale of the Raven and the Flower,'" Sou answered, licking his ice cream quietly. "We learned that a ninja should never show that they care about others or else you will get hurt, and I don't want to get hurt like that."

"The Tale of the what?" Their father repeated, confused.

And so for the first time, the ANBU captain heard the tale. It was about a boy named Raven and a girl named Flower. Raven was once a traitor who returned to the village, finding himself and Flower falling in love with each other. It was then revealed that he used her for his personal gains, which was to kill the people behind his terrible past. He was seeking revenge and because of that, Flower's heart was broken. He listened to the story quietly.

"She was nothing but a tool to him," Yuriko finished. "It had all been a lie. The End."

The children ate a bit of the ice cream after she finished. It was then that he noticed something peaking out from his daughter's pocket.

"Yuriko, what do you have there?" He asked, pointing to it. Yuriko glanced down and took out the necklace. It had a red, crystal heart. She dropped it into her father's palm, he stared at it peacefully.

"We found it and asked Uncle Naruto about it. After that, he started telling us the story," Yuriko explained bitterly. "Not sure why since it doesn't even come up at all."

Their father could look at nothing but the necklace in his hands. It was light for such a big crystal. It dangled between his fingers. He stared at it with no emotion in his eyes. In his mind, he remembered the story his daughter told him.

"You know, the story doesn't end there yet."

The two kids blinked in disbelief.

"W-W-What do you mean?" Sou asked curiously.

"B-B-But he did something bad and probably died!" Yuriko exclaimed. "Even if he didn't, he deserved to! What else is there?!"

"Plenty," Their father replied calmly. "You see, I saw a very interesting confrontation between Raven and Flower after all of that."

The two kids' eyes widen. They scooted closer to their father and surrounded him like he was a criminal.

"Tell us! Tell us! Now!" They pleaded.

Their father chuckled. "Alright but you're lucky to hear this, because this event nearly cost me my life..."

* * *

Blood spurted out of his mouth like a waterfall.

Sasuke's kusunagi had just pierced through an ANBU's stomach. The ANBU stood weakly, only held by the sword. Sasuke spun his sword around, making the victim fly across a few feet. The ANBU coughed more blood again and to his amazement, the traitor now stood only a few inches from him. Sasuke pressed his sword against the ANBU's neck, smiling almost maniacally.

"See ya," Sasuke spoke. Just as he was about to swing his sword at the victim, a voice cried out.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

Sasuke stopped his movements. Slowly he turned around, and gritted his teeth is dismay. "Sakura..."

She was not supposed to be here, that pink-haired girl. More correctly, he rather not have her there. She stood a few feet away from her, panting heavily. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes burned a fire Sasuke never saw before. Her fist were clenched tightly. Sasuke did not want to see her at this time.

"Haruno-san..." The ANBU croaked. "Y-Y-You must run...h-h-he'll kill you..."

But she didn't listen. Instead, she took out a kunai from her pouch and started dashing towards Sasuke who made no response to it. It was only when her kunai was a mere inch away from his face that Sasuke drew out his kusunagi to block her attack. But that did not stop her. She still kept running into him, making him drag backwards against the ground until he felt his back slam into a tree. His kusunagi was still blocking her kunai. She gritted her teeth. Sasuke only smirk.

"Not bad," He commented. "But..."

Sakura gasped when she felt his fist punch her stomach. She dropped the kunai that was in her hand. Before Sakura could react again, she felt her stomach get hit once more, this time by his foot. He kicked her to the ground, keeping her there with his foot. She grabbed his leg, trying to lift it away but then, she felt the skin of her neck meet a cold, icy blade. She froze, her eyes meeting a pair of cold, dark orbs. She glared at him.

"Why, Sasuke-kun?!" She yelled angrily. "Why did you do that to me?!"

"You're the easiest," He replied simply. He could see that she was now boiling with more anger as he said those words. And yet, her eyes told that she indeed agreed with him silently.

"This isn't you, Sasuke-kun..." She whispered as she shut her eyes tight, as if this was all but a nightmare.

"You never knew me."

"I know that you're too impatient to take your time trying to get close to me just so you can get information!" Sakura retorted. Sasuke could see tears beginning to form around her eyes and yet, she continued to glare at him.

Sasuke's eyes did not waver. They were locked on the sight of the girl beneath him. Her hair was disheveled and messy, all over her face but her green eyes managed to peek through them. He saw that they were once again and usually, vulnerable and yet full of anger. She despised being weak, something Sasuke learned when he returned to the village. When he did not respond, Sakura cursed.

"Damnit, why did you do that?! Why didn't you just threaten me from the start instead of just-"Sakura stopped herself from saying anything more.

"You regret that night," Sasuke replied calmly. More tears formed around her eyes and her eyes looked glossier than before. The state she was in at the moment reminded him of when they were younger. It was a more familiar sight and one that he never actually liked to see.

"W-W-Why..." She whispered. "Did you have to do that?"

Sasuke bit his lips, unsure of what to say. Why did he he let that happen that one night, he would ask himself. It was not part of the plan nor was required.

"Say something, damnit," She spat out bitterly. "When you gave me flowers, walked me home, hugged me, kissed me, and that night...was that just to mess with me?"

A silence blanketed upon the two. When Sasuke parted his mouth slightly, no words came out in time. Instead, a powerful force had stuck him from the side, causing him to hit right into a huge boulder. A crack formed through the rock upon contact with Sasuke's body. He let out a curse and immediately his sharingan was on.

"Madara..." He uttered.

Sakura's eyes widen when she saw the suuden appearance of a man in an Akatsuki cloak. He had short dark hair and wore a red mask with swirls on it. The mask had one eye hole and it was through them that she could see the bloody, infamous eye of sharingan.

"Y-You..." She breathed. "You're the one who a-a-attacked me..."

"I should have killed you back then," Madara spoke before turning to Sasuke. "You've killed Akatsuki members, innocent lives, Danzo who was once up for the Kage title, and yet you hesitate to kill this girl?"

He chuckled evilly when Sasuke did not respond. "So you fell prey to your feelings..."

Sasuke winced in pain as he tried to stand up. Madara put up a hand towards Sasuke's direction, who found himself pressured against the ground as if gravity was too harsh on him. Sasuke yelled in pain, digging his fingers into the dirt.

"No, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried as she stood up. However, her body immediately froze to her surprise. Madara chuckled once again. He had caught her with his sharingan, in a genjutsu. She would not be able to move. He lifted up his hands as red chakra swirled around it.

"Because of you, our plans of destroying Konoha was stalled but now...it'll be over..." Madara stated, aiming his hand towards Sakura. Her eyes could not blink, staring more than she wanted to at the figure making her way towards her at incredible speed. A teardrop fell from her eyes when she heard a loud noise pierce through skin. Blood splattered across her body. She felt her heart stop, her body grow cold. Every second made it harder to breath.

"N-N-No..." She couldn't believe what just happened. She couldn't believe that-

* * *

"WHAA! BRAIN FREEZE!" Sou cried as he started rubbing his head furiously.

"SOU YOU IDIOT!" Yuriko complained as she held up a fist.

"Yuriko, don't hit your brother," Their father lectured calmly.

"ICE CREAM IS NOT THAT COLD!"

"YES IT IS! OTOUCHAN, SEE IF IT'S REALLY COLD!" Sou retorted before shoving his cone into his father's mouth, to his surprise. Their father immediately spat out the cone, wiping the ice cream from his lips. He grumbled.

"I'm not buying you a new one," He simply stated but upon seeing his son's pleading eyes, he sighed and bought another one. Sou smiled victoriously.

"Mou, you're always ruining the best part," Yuriko pouted to her little brother. "Ne, otouchan, what happened? Did Flower really..."

"You'll find out," Their father grinned.

* * *

"My god..." The ANBU breathed out upon the sight before him.

Uchiha Sasuke had her in a bloody embrace as Madara struck into his back. Her head was buried into his chest as his gripped her head back firmly. He tried to prevent her from watching the scene, but it didn't work. She could hear him coughing in pain. She could smell the blood dripping from his mouth onto her shoulder. She could feel his skin cold against hers. No harm had come to her, and yet she had never cried harder than now.

"Why, Sasuke-kun?" She whispered in shock. "Why?"

She could feel his mouth curve into a smirk. "I-I-I don't know..." He choked, more blood spurting from his mouth.

Madara drew out his hands from Sasuke's body. Immediately, Sasuke's legs gave up, now hoisted by Sakura's arms. He grabbed onto her shoulder, trying to stand up, but his body was starting to give in. He let out another bloody cough. Sakura looked at him, panicking at the state he was in. There was a giant hole of blood on his back as if it was a crater. Her hands began glowing a green chakra, reaching for his wound, but she felt her hands caught by Sasuke's.

"Don't," Sasuke uttered, his bangs covering his eyes. "You're going to need it for yourself."

Before Sakura could speak, the two heard some cackle evilly. It was loud and full if vile. She turned around, watching Uchiha Madara laugh at them.

"So this is how it shall end for Uchiha Sasuke?" He joked maniacally. "Uchiha Sasuke's end is protecting a weak, pathetic girl?"

Once again, his arm lit up ferociously with chakra. It looked larger this time, as if going for an incredible destruction. "Then I guess she should join you then, Sasuke."

He charged at them again at god-like speed. Sakura, knowing not else what to do, could only wrap her arms in defense around Sasuke. She shut her eyes tight, waiting for her eventually demise. But after a few seconds, when she realized that once again, no harm came to her, she slowly opened her eyes. They were in awe. Surrounding her and Sasuke was a wall of red chakra that covered a large area. She looked up, noticing the chakra was oddly shaped like a samurai spirit. Madara screamed as he attemped to break through it for how many times. It wasn't going to last long, she was sure of it. She heard Sasuke curse in pain. His sharingan was on, one of his eyes slowly bleeding.

"Sasuke-kun!" She gasped. She grabbed his cheek, making him face her. His breathing was uneven, the intervals in between the breathes growing shorter and shorter. No, it couldn't be. It couldn't be...

"You look horrible, crying."

Sakura perked up, her eyes locked with his. Sasuke looked sincere at the moment and unusually relaxed. She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him.

"You idiot, stop playing games with me..." She cried. "Why are you doing this? You're going to die-"

She couldn't finish her sentence. Sasuke had captured her lips into his. Sakura did not fight it, allowing herself to melt in his presence. But to her disappointment, it did not last long. He immediately parted from her lips and stared at her sternly and possibly, affectionately.

"That's why," He answered, panting.

And it was true, Sasuke admitted himself. The plan was not to return to Konoha, but to immediately find information about Danzo and the Elders, murdering them, and along with Madara, destroy Konoha. But it had all gone downhill when he saw Sakura. She ruined the plan. And when Madara first noticed, he had attacked her as a warning to him. Sasuke complied and eventually, found enough information quickly just before murdering Danzo. Their next move was to go into Konoha but once again, it failed upon her arrival. She ruined everything. And Sasuke did not regret it.

The ANBU regained his strength and immediately ran to the two, under Susanoo's protection.

"Haruno-san!" He said. "We have to go now!"

Sakura shook her head as she let the tears fall.

"Sakura, go," Sasuke commanded. "Go with the ANBU."

"N-no...I-I can't leave you..." Sakura whispered as she clutched his hand."Not again..."

"Sakura, this was meant to be," Sasuke stated sternly and quite annoyed at her stubbornness.

"Why the hell do you want it that way?!"

"Because I rather have you alive with another man than dying here by me!"

Sakura was at a loss of words. She opened her mouth, no words exiting. She wasn't sure what to say. Her eyes were starting to get red from the stress and pain of today, especially from her tears. She felt Sasuke's hands leave hers, only to reach for her cheeks. His hand was tender and soft to her skin. His thumb wiped some of her tears. She snifled.

"Come back with us, Sasuke-kun," She whispered painfully, knowing exactly what he would say afterwards. "We can heal you..."

Sasuke shook his head slowly. "I have to stop Madara. I won't be able to come back."

"No, please, don't Sasuke-kun. Please..don't...I'll hate you forever if you do..."

For the first time, Sakura saw him smile at her. It was a weak and painful one, but nonetheless, a smile. They both knew what was going to happen and there was no stopping it. It was bound to happen, whether they didn't want it or not.

"I could never make you happy."

Sakura's eyes widen when she felt Sasuke's arm flung her into the ANBU, who immediately grabbed her into a hold.

"Take her now!" He demanded angrily and with the saddest eyes the ANBU ever saw on the boy.

The ANBU nodded and immediately began performing hand seals, trying his hardest to hold onto the girl. She was fighting to get out of his hold, screaming for the boy's name.

"Uchiha, the world will know the real you," The ANBU said before he disappeared into a poof of smoke. The last thing heard was Sakura screaming out Sasuke's name. The last thing seen was the Uchiha symbol on Sasuke's back as it made it's way, charging at Madara.

* * *

Their father closed his lips, staring at the night sky calmly. It was a beautiful night, indeed. He heard a whimper beside him. He turned to look at his son, who was crying. However, he noticed that even though the boy had tears, he had a weak smile on his face. Sou wiped away his tears and giggled.

"I knew Raven wasn't bad..." Sou sniffled as he licked his ice cream. His face grew white and once again, he rubbed his head like a mad man. "NO! ANOTHER BRAIN FREEZE! WHAA!"

Sou's father laughed at him. While Sou was busy getting rid of his brain freeze, the man turned to look at his daughter who had an unusual expression. It was calm and collect, just like his.

"So he died?" Yuriko asked emotionless, turning to stare at her ice cream cone as if it was the most interesting thing in the world at the moment. There was a hint of pity on her face. Their father smiled.

"How would you like it to end?"

Yuriko blinked. "What do you mean?"

"If you could rewrite it, how would it end?" He asked her sincerely.

Yuriko was quiet for a moment, letting in every part of the story sink into her mind. She remembered how Uncle Naruto told her about Raven's return as a traitor, cold-hearted and uncaring of others. She remembered how the Hyuugas told her how Raven protected Flower from poison. She remembered how Mr. Inuzuka told about the fight between the two because of their horrible time apart. She remembered how Mr. Akimichi told them about the fake 'date' and how Raven was nice enough to do her chores. She remembered how her Aunt Hinata told her how much Raven cared about Flower when she got attacked. She remembered how the Naras told her how Raven gave her flowers. She remembered how Mr. Lee told her how Raven kissed her. She remembered how her Uncle Sai told her how Raven betrayed her once more. And she remembered how her father told her that Raven really loved her and sacrificed himself because of that.

And then she smirked. "Raven kills the villain but lives because he loves Flower that much. He returns to the village and vows never to harm Flower again. They live happily ever after."

Yuriko felt her father's strong hands on the top of her head. He ruffled with her long hair as she giggled. He smiled warmly at her.

"A nice ending, as expected from my daughter."

"Okay, my brain freeze is done!" Sou exclaimed cheerfully. "Ne, otouchan, can you buy me another cone?"

Their father laughed.

* * *

"Ho, ho, Hinata-chan, your cooking always makes my day!" Naruto delightfully commented as he slurped the miso ramen on the dinner table. "Yum, what's the ocassion for making my favorites tonight?"

Hinata only kissed him tenderly as she sat down next to him. "No reason."

There was a knock on their door. Naruto got up and opened it, pleased to see three familiar figures. Yuriko and Sou tackled their uncle to the ground. They could be torn away from the blond man.

"Uncle Naruto, we're going to miss you!" They exclaimed, practically at the brink of tears.

Naruto laughed. "Oh please! I can see you anytime! You guys live like a few minutes away!"

"But there'll be no more pillow fights with you, the Hokage!" Sou complained. "I'm going to be the coolest kid if I say I beat the Hokage at pillow fights!"

"HEY!"

The kids giggled. Hinata placed Minato on the high chair and walked up to the kids, leading them into their former bedrooms. "I'll help you guys pack up."

"That won't be necessary, Hinata," their father spoke. "I was wondering if they could stay another night?"

Hinata blinked, confused. Then she caught a glimpse that in his hands was something gold and stringy. She turned up to look at his face, only to receive a nod of confirmation. She smiled brightly.

"Of course."

"YAY!" They cheered as they ran into their bedrooms. "Come on, let's make a fort! That way, Uncle Naruto will never get us!"

"Better make that fort big and high, kids!" Naruto joked. When the kids disappeared, he turned to face his ANBU captain. He was met with a glare. "Hm, what's with that face?"

"You're horrible at titles and names, dobe."

"Like you're any better. 'Kirin' is the lamest codename, especially for a captain."

"You gave it to me, dumbass."

"Nevermind, it sounds cool. How was the honeymoon with Sakura? Are we gonna expect a new Uchiha soon?"

"What about you and Hinata? Her chakra is unusual, more like the beginning stages of pregnancy."

"Yep! We did it a few nights ago! Boy was it hot and nice!" Naruto grinned cheesily. His comrade looked at him in disgust.

"I didn't need to know that."

"Did you tell them about Madara?"

"Yep."

"Did you tell them when Sakura beat the crap out of you after you returned _again_?"

"That's unnecessary."

"Or when you guys practically made out when you guys saw each other after like a month."

"Don't make me punch you, dobe."

"Like you could, teme. Besides, why the extra night?"

Naruto saw that his friend had drew out his hands, revealing the familiar heart-shape necklace.

"I need to return this to the owner."

Naruto grinned. "So I guess the honeymoon isn't over yet."

Uchiha Sasuke smirked.


	14. The HeartShaped Necklace

Chapter 13: The Heart-Shaped Necklace

A woman opened the door to the Uchiha Manor, which had been empty for over a week. She had long pink hair tied into a loose bun, some strands falling out but framed her face nicely. Her green, jade eyes were the only source of light in the building. Upon entering the mansion, she tucked in her keys and walked quietly up the stairs. Down the hall, she stopped by a room and peaked through it. She raised an eyebrow. The room had two beds filled with toys and picture books. One could easily tell a boy and a girl inhabited the room. Dinosaur figures laid on one side of the room while a mixture of toy kunais and princess dolls laid on the other. The room was empty, the beds too tidy. No one was here. She narrowed her eyebrows and continued on to the master bedroom. A large bed rested in the middle of the room against the wall. The bed was also done and tidy too. She bit her lips, a worried look appearing on her face.

She gasped when she felt something warm cover her eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered skin, but it was not hers. It was a pair of hands. Then, a pair of cold, familiar lips kissed her neck. Uchiha Sakura smiled.

"Why are the kids not here, Sasuke-kun?"

"Should that matter?"

"But I want to see my babies."

"You will. In the morning."

"But I miss Yuriko always screaming to train with you."

"I don't. She acts too much like me for a girl."

"True. But I miss Sou crying for food."

"I don't. Reminds me of Naruto."

"That's true. Why can't I see them?"

"Cause I got a surprise for you."

"The honeymoon's over though."

"Not until I say so. Keep your eyes closed."

Sakura let out a heavy, relaxed sigh. She nodded, closing her eyes. After a minute, she felt something cold and metallic encircle her neck. She felt something hard against her chest. A click was made. Then Sasuke wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on the crook of Sakura's neck. He had a calm expression. He leaned into her ear and whispered:

"Open up now."

She fluttered her eyes upon and looked beneath her. Her eyes widen and she gasped in shock. There was a golden necklace around her neck. The pendant was a red, crystal heard. It gleamed in the night sky, as if sparkling like the stars.

"This is..." Sakura whispered in awe. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the necklace. She and her husband would remain in that position for a while, both staring at the necklace, as a memory flushed through both their minds.

* * *

Cheers and wolf whistles erupted as Neji and Tenten leaned in for a kiss at the altar. For the first time, Sakura saw Tenten's hair loose and down beautifully into waves, unlike her usually tight twin buns. She was beautiful, in her white kimono and never happier. Today, Tenten was official a Hyuuga after three years of dating one. Ino was practically crying into Shikamaru's arms.

"Oh my god...it's so beautiful..." She choked happily. Shikamaru sighed.

"Troublesome woman." Ino slapped him.

"Lazy ass man." She retorted.

Sakura laughed inside at the romantic argument between the two. She still couldn't believe those two actually let themselves into dating the other, let alone get engaged not one month ago. Shikamaru always amazed her. Sakura walked up to watch the newlyweds get on the carriage and drive away from Konohagakure for their first honeymoon. Tenten rested her head against Neji's shoulder while he did the same to her head.

"Oi, don't bother coming back if you didn't get any action, Neji!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully, only to receive death glares from the women population in the village, excluding Hinata, he stood by him shyly. Naruto's face immediately crashed into the bouquet of flowers that Tenten threw angrily at him. Once again, the women population glared at him, all crackling their knuckles. Sakura thought he should run away that second.

After Neji and Tenten left, the visitors began to disperse. As the crowd got smaller and smaller, Sakura walked through them, seeking someone. She smiled when she spot her eyes on a man with spikey, dark hair. His black eyes stared calmly into space as he loosely held a cup of wine in his hands. He was wearing formal attire for once and Sakura thought he looked quite handsome. If only he would wear that again soon with a ring on her finger. The man noticed her presence and glanced her way.

"Sakura," He said, standing up. Sakura leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"Aren't you happy for those two?" She asked, smiling.

Sasuke shrugged, glancing the other direction. Sakura sighed in return. Typical Sasuke. Even at the happiest weddings, he still had that calm and yet not really relaxed look. Sakura had started to take note of that ever since all their friends started getting married off. The first one of Konoha 11 to get married off was Lee to everybody's amazement. They were invited and the minute Lee and his fiancee were at the altar, Sakura could have felt Sasuke twitch beside her. The first time, she thought it was just him but then it happened again at Kiba's, then Shino's, then Chouji's, and now Neji's and Tenten's. More importantly, Sakura couldn't help but feel annoyed that at every wedding, Sasuke made any attempt to avoid looking at her, let alone be near her.

Sakura wasn't sure why he acted like this at weddings, even if it was just Sasuke. He already went through a lot of things. She thought she shouldn't question him, since she probably wouldn't get any response, even after being together for nearly four years with the ice cube.

Naruto and Hinata were approached the two with smiling faces. "Well then, we're gonna head off home first, Sakura-chan," Naruto said before waving the couple goodbye. They exchanged waves with each other (Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glares and taunts instead) before each made their way home. Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hand gently as the two started walking to their house. Sakura stole a quick glance at Naruto and Hinata. They had gotten together only two years ago and Sakura couldn't help but notice the diamond ring around Hinata's finger. A somewhat jealous look made its way to her face. Sakura then turned to face Sasuke sternly, who only had a raised eyebrow.

"What?" He asked calmly.

Sakura shook her head. "N-nothing. Just tired."

Sasuke stared at her carefully but decided to drop it as they arrived at their tiny house. That night, they crawled into bed, kissed each other goodnight, then slept in each other's arms as they did every night since Sasuke came back. Nothing else. Sakura remembered the look on Tenten's face, how she never looked happier than ever at that moment. Tenten had the biggest smile ever, bigger than the day she defeated Neji. She stared at Sasuke's sleeping face, his eyes shut closed. He breathed softly as his hands clutched hers extremely tightly, no matter how hard she tried to free herself. She smiled warmly. In the years they had been together, Sakura only heard him say 'I love you" to her twice: When he returned after killing Madara and when his death setence was forgotten thanks to Tsunade. Never again. However, what he lacked through words, he easily made it up through physical actions. He always kissed her tenderly every day, held her hand even when not needed, and they both had the occasional...love moment.

Sakura decided to stop thinking about the wedding today. It was making her think things she shouldn't, like the fact her ring finger was empty after years with the man laying next to her. She closed her eyes and rested her head next to Sasuke's.

A month would pass since Neji's and Tenten's wedding. Naruto was more than delighted to announce to the whole entire village that Neji actually got down with Tenten and that she was expecting a child, which he was rewarded with a trip to the hospital much to Sakura's annoyance. She wrapped the bandages around the words of his arms thanks to what Sakura thought was Neji's eight trigrams move followed by Tenten's various weapons.

"Naruto, you idiot, always yelling private things," Sakura lectured him. She sounded tired, due to all the hours she worked through at the hospital. "You better start acting more mature since you and Hinata are gonna get married soon."

Naruto chuckled nervously. "Y-Y-Yeah I guess, hey what about you and Sasuke-teme? I bet you guys have something special planned!"

"What do you mean?" Sakura raised her eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me?" Naruto exclaimed with the widest eyes Sakura had ever seen on him. "Damn, I feel so proud! Isn't it you guys' anniversary tomorrow?"

He was right. Sakura couldn't believe she forgotten. Tomorrow would mark the four years of Sasuke's return from killing Madara. It was also the same day Sakura punched him endlessly in the face and stomach, crying at the same time and yelling at him for being such a jerk and idiot. It was also the same day Sasuke confessed his love for her and proceeded to kiss her a bit more than necessary in public. Sakura couldn't believe Naruto knew before she did. She blamed the stress from working at the hospital and Sasuke's inability to be romantic.

"That's true..." She whispered before forming a weak smile. "But it's nothing special. Usually we just go out to eat and um..."

"Make Uchiha Naruto?!" Naruto suggested too gleefully. Sakura smacked him on the head, blushing madly.

"Don't say it like that; it sounds wrong."

"Oh, so Sasuke does do_ it _with you," Naruto grinned like a maniac. Sakura glared at him.

"Do you think he'll do something special this year?"

"Like what? It's Sasuke-kun, Naruto," Sakura joked, trying to reassure herself.

"I don't know. I mean, you guys have been together the longest out of all of us. Most of all got engaged, Neji and Teten are married, and then there's you guys," Naruto stated nervously. "And well..."

Sakura smiled weakly at him. "I know what you're trying to say, but I'm sure it won't happen. Sasuke-kun and I have never talked about it. Not even rebuilding his clan."

"Oh, too busy enjoying the fun under the sheets probably." Naruto was smacked once again.

Once Sakura finished healing Naruto, she left the hospital upon receiving a message from the Hokage that she needed her. She arrived at the tower quickly, walking up the many stairs. When she reached the office, she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" A voice shouted too jolly. It was Tsunade. Sakura sighed. She was probably drunk. When she opened the door, her assumptions were too, but she saw something unexpected in the room too.

Sasuke sat in front of the Hokage's desk with a rather annoyed expression. He glared at the Hokage for reason Sakura was unsure of. On Tsunade's desk were bottles of sake, the stench immediately going into Sakura's nose. Tsunade laughed heartfully, her nose turning red.

"Ahahaha Sasuke, this is damn good sake! Sure was right to save your ass from the other kages or else I wouldn't get this!" Tsunade cackled.

Sasuke noticed Sakura and stood up to be next to her.

"I don't know how she's Hokage," Sasuke whispered quite annoyed. Sakura chuckled softly.

"Your fault for buying her sake," Sakura replied in a low tone. "Whats the sake for?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, bit his lips. He turned away from Sakura. "I needed a favor done."

"Oi, Uchiha! Don't forget to pick it up soon! If you don't do it by tomorrow afternoon there will be severe punishment and I will know!" Tsunade barked, the alcohol escaping her breath, as she glanced at her student. Sasuke nodded with a bit of hesitation.

Quickly, he kissed Sakura's cheek and exited the office, shutting the door quietly. Sakura turned to her teacher and smiled.

"Tsunade-sama, you asked for me?" She spoke, hoping her teacher was not too drunk.

Tsunade wiped the sake that was drooling from her mouth. She placed the bottle on the desk and leaned against her chair. Shet let out a huge breath.

"Whoo! Hope I don't finish that soon! He has good taste, that boy. He's lucky to have you, Sakura" Tsunade grinned delightly. Sakura felt her cheeks grow pink. She laughed nervously.

"I guess. Anyway, what did you call me for?"

"Well I didn't feel like doing those stupid papers so-"

"Tsunade-sama, I will not do them for you."

"Actually, I just wanted to talk to you about something important."

Sakura blinked a few times. "Like what?" She asked in disbelief.

Tsunade nodded strongly. "It's been a while since I've had an actually conversation with my beautiful student. Anyway, how are you and Sasuke?"

"Huh?" Her too?

"You know what I mean, Sakura. Has things been going along well with you two? No crazy fights, right?"

"Of course not, Tsunade-sama! Sasuke-kun's smart enough to know not to pick a fight with me," Sakura exclaimed proudfully as she held a fist in the air. Tsunade chuckled.

"I like the way you talk. But does anything about Sasuke frustrate you lately, like certain moments at weddings?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura was confused.

"Don't play dumb with me, Sakura. I go to those weddings too and I know you're aware of how uncomfortable the boy is at weddings. He doesn't speak to you, make contact with you, doesn't even look at you. You're always happy at the beginning but when Sasuke starts acting like that, I can tell you start faking it."

"Not really..." Sakura lied. It bothered her greatly, more than she would admit, though she was unclear why.

"Sakura, I can tell you're ready for things Sasuke isn't."

Sakura looked up. She was about to ask herself how Tsunade knew, but remained quiet. The woman did teach her and knew her well as women. She looked at her hands, which played with each other. Sakura nodded quietly.

"Tell me, Sakura, how things go between you two, and I want a very detailed description."

Sakura sighed in hesitation, before speaking.

"I never know what's going on in his head. We talk, but they're never long conversations, unless it's missions or something painful from the past. I can tell he loves me just as I do to him by the way he kisses and holds me, but..." Sakura paused for a moment before she narrowed her eyebrows.

Tsunade sighed. She picked up her a sake bottle and stared at it. "He worries about you."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Tsunade continued.

"After he finishes a mission report to me, Sasuke likes to stay around and talk, strangely. Our only topic so far has been about you."

"Why?" Sakura was indeed confused. Sasuke had never mentioned this before.

"Like I said. He asks how you are when you're not with him, if you were unhappy, if you were acting strange, so and so. He may not say it, considering his arrogant pride, but he tries really hard to make you happy. Sadly, he has no clue how." Tsunade smirked. "He's more idiotic than Naruto when it comes to girls, unfortunately."

Sakura giggled. She couldn't help but secretly agree.

"Sakura, give the boy some time. Remember what he's been through. He'll come around. I can tell you're the most important person in his life."

Sakura smiled warmly. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

"Of course. Now go take a break! You look exhausted!"

Sakura nodded before leaving the room. When she was outside, she was surprised to see that Sasuke was leaning against the wall, patiently waiting for her. He noticed her and nodded.

"Sasuke-kun, why did you wait? I thought Tsunade-sama gave you orders for something."

"They could wait," Sasuke smirked before he kissed her gently on the lips. He grabbed her hand into his as they began walking down the stairs together, side by side. The two didn't say much to each other, only enjoying the small moment together in silence. Sakura remembered what Tsunade had said and saw that it was quite true to a certain degree.

"Sakura!" the two heard someone scream loudly. Sasuke sighed when he saw Ino's figure get closer and closer to the two.

"Nara actually proposed to that loud woman," Sasuke stated deadpanned as Sakura laughed. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable when he mentioned a certain word.

Ino and Sakura hugged each other and Sasuke merely nodded to recognize her. Sasuke decided to leave the two, telling them he had an errand to do, much to Sakura's confusion. But then she remembered the order Tsunade gave him and decided to let it go. The two girls parted ways with Sasuke as they began to animatedly chat with one another about various things. They walked in circles around the village practically though they didn't mind. It was only when into the conversation much later, Ino started taking a different turn.

"So Sakura..." Ino began slyly. "You and Sasuke up to anything tomorrow? I mean, it is your anniversary..."

"Geez, why is everybody always asking about us?" Sakura complained. "We're just doing what we usually do, that's all! Why is it so special?"

"I mean come on, Sakura, aren't you a bit annoyed he hasn't...you know," Sakura could tell Ino didn't want to say the words and understood what she would have said.

"Ino-chan, me and Sasuke-kun are perfectly happy! It doesn't matter if he wants to or not!" Sakura felt Ino's arm shake her shoulders.

"Ne, Sakura! Did Sasuke just leave that jewelry store?" Ino asked, quite surprised, as she pointed in front of them. Sakura's eyes widen.

Indeed, her friend was right. Sasuke had just exited the door from the jewelry store. With a bag in his hands. Sakura and Ino looked to each other. Ino grinned deviously while Sakura shook her head furiously.

"No, Ino-chan! It's not going to be what you think!"

"Oh, come on, Sakura! You guys have been together for the longest out of all of us. Everybody's already getting married, even Naruto, the most stupidest and clueless guy! Plus, it's your anniversary tomorrow! How could it not be!"

"Because it's Uchiha Sasuke!"

Ino couldn't argue anymore. That was practically the best argument settler there was. Ino pouted bitterly ind defeat.

A while later, the two girls found themselves back at Sakura's house. Sasuke had returned home earlier and had laid on the couch, as if he was sleeping just minutes before Ino came barging in. Sakura had decided to invite Ino over for dinner, which Sasuke had responded with a scowl, which Ino retorted back by whining. Nonetheless, he agreed and resumed to his sleep, admitting he had an exhausting day. Sakura saw no sight of the bag but decided to leave that away as she and Ino ate dinner with each other, giggling quietly like little girls gossiping in the back corner in school.

"Ah, lets go take a look at some old pictures when we were little!" Sakura exclaimed as she clasped her hands together. Ino nodded as they walked quietly upstairs to Sasuke and Sakura's bedroom. It was small with a huge bed in the middle and some furniture to the side. Sakura was tiptoeing high on her feet, trying to look for the photo ablum in her closet. Her fingers were trailing through everything, old clothes, weapons, scrolls, had a struggling look.

"Ugh, I swear I put it here-"

"Sakura! Stop right there!"

She did and her fingers felt something plastic. When she moved, a plastic bag fell to the ground. Sakura and Ino gasped. It was the same bag Sasuke was holding from the jewelry shop. A box had fell from inside the bag. Ino and Sakura looked at each other, both knowing what the other was thinking. Sakura frowned.

"No."

"You know I'll be right."

"It's wrong."

"You want to look at it too."

"We can't. It's Sasuke-kun's."

"But it'll soon be yours. Let's look!" Ino yanked the box from the floor, laying it on the bed. Sakura followed her, her face slighty disturbed.

"Ino-chan, we can't!"

"Oh, please, Sakura, don't tell me you can still wait for Sasuke to propose to you! I know you want him to do it! Might as well get a look at your engagement ring than lecture him that it's not pretty enough!"

"Did you do that to Shikamaru-"

"Shut up, now open the damn box!"

"Don't tempt me!" Sakura felt her cheeks grow hot. It was true, she wanted to know and she now, more than ever, wanted Sasuke to man up, get down on his knees, and present her the ring of her future. But she remembered what Tsunade had told her. Sasuke was trying hard to make her happy. She didn't want to ruin it. She would feel a lot worse if it was actually a ring.

"I don't want to..."

"Sakura, you got to stop playing the good girl to the boy with the stick up his butt!" Ino shouted. "I mean, it's just one little peak! You can act all shocked when he proposes anyway!"

And Sakura sighed. She touched the velvety box and opened it slowly. She really shouldn't be doing this. She really shouldn't. She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. The box was fully open, she felt it, but Sakura couldn't bear to look at it. Then, she heard Ino gasp. She opened her eyes slowly. She saw that Ino had her hands over her mouth, staring wide eye at the content of the box. Sakura, giving up, looked down and shock was written all over her face.

There was a necklace in the box. The pendant was shaped into a red heart. Sakura picked it up, amazed.

"What..."

Ino turned around, sheepishly. "W-W-Well, I-I-I guess I should get g-g-going then...Bye Sakura!"

And with that, Ino quickly left the room and then the house. Sakura stood there, staring at the necklace. It was simple, just something you would typically buy for a lover. And yet, it was quite stunning when in light. She thought it had sparkles in them that would never die, like the love itself. She held it against her palms, her hair falling over her face. She smiled weakly. He was probably going to give it to her tomorrow, on their anniversary. He never gave her gifts on their anniversaries, only taking her out to dinner. Sure it wasn't a ring, but Tsunade-sama was right. Sasuke was trying. He had no idea what to do, but he was willing to go for it. And he probably would for the many years ahead of them. Carefully, she bend down to return the necklace back to its original place when she heard a voice speak behind her.

"Yamanaka is one nosy woman."

Sakura perked up. She turned around, surprised to see that Sasuke was now awake. He leaned against the door frame, his arms across his chest. She blinked.

"Eh?"

Sasuke looked down at the ground, his bangs covering his face. She couldn't tell what they looked like. His expression was probably calm and collected as ever. He scratched his head, as if nervous about something.

"When do you want it?"

"When what?" Sakura was seriously confused. Sasuke was always difficult to comprehend, but now, it was more than ever.

She saw him hesitate for a second. "You know...the wedding."

Sakura's mouth opened wide. She looked back and forth from the necklace to Sasuke. He was staring right at her, not even blinking or looking away. She cringed. This couldn't be it. Out of all the things Sasuke was not capable of doing...

She walked up to him and slapped him hard. Sasuke groaned, touching the cheek where she hit him. He turned to her, taken aback a bit.

"Sakura, what the-"

"This is your idea of a proposal?!" She screamed angrily into his face.

"Are you this dumb, Sasuke-kun?! I don't know whether to be happy that you actually figured it out or pissed off that you did it wrong! First, just because you gave me a necklace does not mean I'm going to marry you! And second, _a necklace_?! You propose with a freaking _ring_, you idiot! Even Naruto figured that one out! Seriously, after all these years-"

"I'm sorry."

Sakura stopped. She and Sasuke stared into each other's eyes. She saw something in his eyes she never saw in a long time. His eyes looked guilty, a bit nervous and somewhat worried. His eyebrows were narrowed, making him appear slightly weak. She took a step back and looked down at the ground, regretting everything she just said. She had to remember everything Sasuke went through and how they would affect him. He placed a hand on her cheeks, bringing their faces closer. To her amazement, she saw that his cheeks a bit of pink of it. He took a deep breath.

"Look, there weren't actually any rings that I thought you liked and well...." Was Uchiha Sasuke actually nervous? Sakura couldn't believe this. He turned away sheepishly.

"I'm not good at this kind of stuff. So..."

"On your knees."

Sasuke reverted his eyes to hers. She had a stern yet kind look. She placed the necklace into his hands and pointed on at the ground.

"You go on your knees and you ask for it. With _real_ pride." She smirked at the last part.

Sasuke hesitated, she could tell. But then, slowly, he got down on one knee, grabbed her hand, and looked straight into her eyes. He had a very confident look, different than just a minute before. He leaned towards her face so they were only a breath apart. And then, he said:

"Haruno Sakura, will you marry me?"

Memories flooded through her mind. The first time she, Sasuke, and Naruto were announced to be a team, the Chuunin exams, the night Sasuke left her, the time they saw Sasuke again after three years with Orochimaru, when Sasuke returned to the village, when Sasuke began to spend more time with her, when Sasuke first kissed her, when Sasuke left again, when Sasuke nearly died protecting her from Madara, the moment she thought she would never see him again, and when Sasuke returned again only to face a beating from her.

A teardrop fell from her eyes as she leaned in to hiss him. Sasuke was shocked but allowed himself to enjoy it. He cupped her cheeks and her hair, so he could bring her closer to him. To his dismay, she was quick to depart from him. A real, genuine smile appeared her face.

"Of course, you idiot."

Sasuke kissed her again. "I love you."

He would say that more often. And Sakura would indeed, become one happy woman.

* * *

After Sakura remembered that moment, she couldn't but stare at her necklace. Her unofficial engagement ring. She smiled contently.

"I can't believe you were that dumb."

Sasuke smirked. "Can you blame me?"

"No, cause I made you a better, more romantic man."

"But I made you a happier woman."

"Not Tsunade-sama. She was pretty pissed at you that day after. Said she had the perfect ring handcrafted just for us but you refused to buy it and went with the necklace instead. Guess that was the favor you asked. I'm surprised you didn't die from her beatings."

"That doesn't matter. We got married anyway."

"And then it got lost somehow."

"Ah, but I found it again." Sasuke swayed his wife away so that his lips would meet hers. He reached up to her hair, pulling out the pins and letting out her long pink hair loose. He leaned down into her neck, kissing it as well. His other hand reached one side of her kimono top, slowly pulling it down. Sakura chuckled.

"No, Sasuke-kun. We're not going to do this."

"That's what you said last night" A kiss on the cheek. "And the night before." Another kiss to her lips. "And the night before that." A kiss to her forehead.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"And at the hot springs." Sasuke smirked when he licked her ear, tickling her. Her kimono top was finally off as he threw it to the corner, revealing Sakura's bare, silky skin. He stared at her with every intention of doing what any man would do. "Twice."

Sakura clutched his ANBU uniform and leaned against his nose, pouting so innocently. "Aw, but I actually wanted to sleep peacefully tonight."

Sasuke pushed her down against their bed, her hair now disheveled everywhere. He had his infamous smirk over his face as he hovered over her.

"Shut up, Sakura. Don't ruin the fun. That's what the kids are for."

And once again, but never for the last time, Sasuke crashed his lips against Sakura's.

* * *

Boy that was a long chappie! Okay, there's one more guys. the epilogue! Sorry it took a while! The next one will come the end of this weekend so please be patient! Only one more left! I'm a bit sad! Thanks for all who still read this! I luv all the reviews I've been getting!


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue

Two pairs of eyes flew wide open abruptly open hearing a knock on their doors. Two figures sat up immediately, looking towards the door. Naruto had entered the room, a wide grin across his face. The sun had practically just got up along with them.

"Ohayou, kids," He greeted.

Yuriko and Sou yawned loudly.

"Uncle Naruto, why did you wake us up so early?" Sou asked softly as he rubbed his eyes.

Yuriko fell back to the bed, pulling the blankets over her. "I want to sleep more!" She moaned under the sheets.

"Really? Oh well," Naruto forced out a sigh. "I guess you guys don't want to meet Raven and Flower-"

"What?!" Yuriko and Sou shouted at the same time. Their eyes were wide. They couldn't believe it as they faced each other.

"I thought Raven died!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. Then, he chuckled. "What do you mean? They've always been alive! Didn't your father tell you the part about Raven protecting Flower?"

"Yeah, but he made it sound like Raven died!" Yuriko exclaimed. Sou, on the otherhand, couldn't be more happier.

"I knew he didn't die! The hero always lives and is happily ever after with the girl!" He cheered as he jumped up and down on the bed, laughing. Yuriko smiled brightly. It suited her well, Naruto thought. She resembled her father way too much when she wasn't smiling.

"Now what are you guys still doing in your PJ's? Get up if you want to see Raven and Flower in time! You might just catch them doing something quite interesting," Naruto exclaimed, with an evil grin.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke opened his eyes as the morning rays entered through his window. The first thing he saw was a mess of pink hair, covering the face he so enjoyed staring at last night. He picked up some strands and tucked them behind the woman's ears so that he could see her porcelain-like face once more. She breathed softly and quietly. She was still asleep. His thumb massaged her cheeks gently, making the her smile even though her eyes were closed. She stirred. Slowly, jade eyes revealed themselves on her face.

He couldn't believe what was beside him. Sakura laid there wearing the heart-shaped necklace he had given her probably seven years ago, and only that. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Both their bare skins touched each other. He kissed her softly on the lips.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun," She said with a smile. She positioned herself so that her head was resting on his hard, bare chest. Sasuke massaged her back, making her moan slightly.

"No more. I'm exhausted."

Sasuke smirked. "You sure weren't last night."

"I want to see my kids, though," She whined playfully. She heard a scowl from above her.

"Oh, stop pretending you hate our kids," She said, twiddling her fingers across his chest.

"But I do." He was joking. Sakura knew he would never mean that.

"Don't blame them for our future, barely existing sex life. We had a whole week of that."

"And I already miss it."

"What about the kids?" Sakura asked slyly. Sasuke sighed.

"Maybe all this sex is cause you secretly want another kid too," She stated, looking up to him.

"Two is enough to buy ice cream for."

"Aw, but maybe if you asked for another one, we could do another round," Sakura suggested with a seductive smile. Sasuke smirked. He was a man after all. He couldn't turn down such a deal.

"Really now?"

Sakura nodded. "Boy or girl?"

"Girl." That was a quicker response than Sakura expected. She raised an eyebrow.

"A girl? Unexpected choice, especially from you. Thought you preferred boys."

"I actually want one to act like a girl. She'll be the perfect excuse for me to beat up even more little boys."

"As if Yuriko wasn't enough already," Sakura giggled before she leaned up to kiss her husband again. "I think that's adorable of you to think our daughter will be so beautiful to catch every man's eyes, considering you're going to be one protective daddy later."

"They are Uchihas. If they weren't good-looking, I'd probably be suspicious whether you slept with another man or not," Sasuke chuckled darkly. Sakura pounced him jokingly.

"Hey! You know I would never do that to you!"

"I know." He positioned himself so that Sakura was now lying on the bed and he was hovering over her, just like the night before. Sasuke had a warm eyes that moment. The two stared deeply at each other for a moment, none speaking to each other. Both had smiles on their faces, content with what they have had in the past, now, and will in the future. They remembered everything they went through just so they could be in this position right now. All the happy moments, all the painful moments, all the harsh times, all the calm times. They had gone through so much and finally, Sasuke realized what he achieved with this woman. He had gotten freedom. Freedom from the terrible past, freedom from revenge, and freedom from the fear of losing someone special to him again. He did not have just one person special to him. He now had his own kids and a wife he would love and care. He knew he could protect them and make them happy for as long as he lived.

Sasuke kissed her tenderly. "I love you," Sakura breathed.

"I know. You've been saying that for over 15 years."

Sakura smiled. Sasuke had never felt so lucky to be the one to wake up to that smile every morning, let alone even make it happen. He was now holding himself up on his elbows. His lips were not even an inch from hers and yet it felt so far from him. She could feel his heart beat a million times faster than usual.

"Sakura..." He was about to close the gap when-

"OTOUCHAN! OKACHAN! WE'RE HOME!"

Sasuke and Sakura froze. Panic erupted on their faces as they stared at each other wide-eyed.

"Shit." They both whispered. Sasuke reached for his boxers that were on the floor, cursing himself for not being able to put it on fast enough. Sakura looked around everywhere for her clothes, cursing at the man who tore them apart last night and them them to each corner of the room. Sasuke had barely put on his boxers when their door opened. Sakura imemdiately covered herself with the blanket. Sasuke couldn't move at the sight of his two kids, Yuriko and Sou, staring at them in awe. Their jaws were dropping to the ground basically. Sou clung onto the doorknob loosely.

Sasuke blushed. "Uh, kids...we can explain..."

Then suddenly, they saw Sou grin evilly and pointing at them with an accused finger.

"Haha! You guys are wearing underwear! Haha! Otouchan and Okachan are in their underwear!" Sou sang like it was a children's songs. Sasuke cringed.

"Sou, y-y-you..." But Sasuke stopped as his eyes turned into a complete glare at the sudden appearance of a blond man, who wolf-whistled at the sight in the master bedroom.

"Damn, Sasuke! You guys got real busy here last night!" Naruto exclaimed so loudly the whole village probably woke up already. He scanned the entire room. "If this is what you did last night, imagine what happened on your little honeymoon! Ho ho ho!"

Sakura pulled the blanket up even more to cover her body. She blushed furiously. She tightened her fist around the sheets. "N-N-Naruto...I-I-I swear..."

"Oh, I get what you mean by having fun under the sheets now, Uncle Naruto!" Sou exclaimed cheerfully. "But why do you have to be naked?"

Naruto immediately felt some strong, evil force building up near him. He gulped when he saw that Sasuke now had his sharingan on and that his palm was quickly surrounding by blue electricity. He chuckled nervously.

"Ahhh Sasuke, d-d-don't! I-I-I'm the Hokage and your k-k-kids are here! D-D-don't promote violen-"

"CHIDORI!"

Naruto jumped outside through the window, followed by Sasuke. A loud boom was heard as a giant tree was now discovered to have a hole that looked like a crater. It was fortunate to not fall down yet, as well as Naruto. He had dodged it by only inches. Naruto shook violently at the destruction his friend had made. He let out a sigh as Sasuke's chidori began to diminish. However, he immediately brought his guard back up when he saw a pair of red eyes glare at him once again.

"Hahahaha, we still friends now, t-t-teme-"

"You're never watching my kids again."

"What?! Aw, come on! It was an accident that Sou happen to hear me talk like that!" Naruto moaned like a little kid.

Sasuke grunted. Then, he felt a pair of soft, small hands tug his arm. He looked down, pleased to see his daughter. She looked curious about something.

"Ne, ne, otouchan. That was the chidori right?" She asked. He nodded in reply. He was well aware his daughter was incredibly smart like her mother and loved to trained just like him.

"You use this seal right?" Yuriko then performed the seals, amazing her father. She had imitated his seals perfectly, especially since it was one of the few times she saw it. No only that, his movements were incredibly fast to catch up to see.

Sasuke nodded. Once again, at surprising speed, she performed the seals and began to concentrate all her chakra to her palms. Sasuke's eyes widen when he saw blue electricity surround her palm. She was actually doing it. It was very small, as Sasuke expected, but nonetheless, it was quite a feat, considering her young age and body. She glanced at Naruto then back at her father. The father and daughter exchanged similar smirks.

Naruto stood up, wiping the dirt away from his Hokage cloak. "Phew, that was a close one! Now then, guess I should be-eh, Yuriko-chan?" He suddenly froze.

"Chidori!" The girl screamed iwith determination as she charged at Naruto. Immediately, her electric-shocked fist made contact with Naruto's stomach as he yelped. He fell down to the ground once again, moaning in pain loudly.

"Gaahhh...Damn you, Sasuke-teme..." Naruto whispered, rubbing his stomach. "You raised a girl version of you..."

Yuriko smiled in victory. She skipped back to her father, unable to stand still. She was jumping up and down, clasping her hands , she went to wrap her arms around her father's waist tightly.

"Otouchan, did you see that?! I actually did chidori! I actually beat the Hokage! Now I can't wait to beat Gaimaru and Kouji-kun!"

Sasuke chuckled. As always, he placed a hand on the top of her head. He ruffled with her long, black hair that always swayed back and forth. He took in the appearance of the child that appeared before him. It seem liked yesterday that Sakura had just given birth to this girl. Their first child. She was extremely tiny at the time, even for a newborn baby. But she made it. She had cried loudly and couldn't stop for over an hour. But it was also that time when she opened her big, black eyes, that Sasuke thought she would bloom into a beautiful girl, like her namesake, Yuriko.

Yes. He remembered now. He was the one that actually gave her that name. Sakura managed to force him to name only the girls while she could name only the boys. He was surprised at the time how easy it was for him to pick that name. It was probably the instant the girl was born. And now, she had grown. It was easy for the villagers to take one look at her and know that she was his daughter. She had his deep, black eyes, the dark hair, the skin, and according to Sakura, his smile too, which he never knew how. Kakashi once commented the girl was bound to be a genius, just like her father, and intelligent, just like her mother. Yuriko took on a lot from him, physically, mentally, and his likes too. Six years passed since the girl was born. His hand had yet to leave her head.

_She better still think boys are disgusting when she gets older_, Sasuke mentally thought. He really hoped for it, even though it was unlikely. It wasn't like that was a problem. It gave him more reasons to unleash his secret killing monster. He smiled at her.

"As expected from my daughter."

"Otouchan!" Sou cried from the window loudly. "Okaachan said to wear some clothes now! She's going to make breakfast and hurry up! I'm starving!"

"Oh yeah...EW! YOU'RE STILL ON YOUR UNDERWEAR!" Yuriko spat, quite disgusted as she ran back into the house.

Sasuke scowled. Immediately, he jumped up into the window, ignoring the Hokage's fainted body. Sakura had already left the room, probably making breakfast as Sou said. He got dressed in a basic t-shirt and some pants. Slowly, he walked downstairs but stopped when he got to the first floor. He leaned against the railing as he watched silently at his two kids who sat at the breakfast table, impatiently waiting for their mother to make breakfast. Sakura was by the stove, cooking eggs probably. Even doing such a simple task, Sasuke saw a very content smile on her face.

"Okaachan, hurry! I think I'm going to die!" Sou complained as his stomach growled loudly.

Sakura had a content smile on her face. "Patience, Sou."

Sou crossed his arms and pouted. Sasuke couldn't help but smile. There was also the boy. Sou. He was the one who would for sure carry the Uchiha name. Sasuke remembered the night Sou was born, how it was a miracle for him to be there. That night, Sasuke was dragged to a bar by Naruto after receiving news that the blond boy would become Hokage. Of course, they had got wasted and the only way they managed to get out was by Tsunade's mad fists. She had looked everywhere for Sasuke, telling him that Sakura was currently in labor. Sasuke had ran across the village, all drunk, arriving at the hospital, only to meet Sakura's fury. But luckily, Sou was born just before she could do anything horrible to him at the moment. The boy cried nearly ten times louder than Yuriko at birth. But after a while, after Sasuke swayed him back and forth, he started laughing. The two had never heard something so precious and cherished. They were fortunate to hear that laugh everyday now. Sou was one of the few sources of laughter to Sasuke, whether he did it on purpose or not.

Sou started making a fort out of the chopsticks, trying to pass the time. Sasuke couldn't believe he was staring at the minature version of him. His eyes were big and black and he had the same hairstyle as him. Appearance was the only thing that Sasuke and Sou resembled. The boy was seriously too loud for him. He was curious about everything, asking questions to the most random people, yelling out random things, was constantly hungry, his stomach always growling, and ran way too much and fast to Sasuke's liking. Sou could never sit still, or even remain still. The boy was spending way too much time with Naruto, Sasuke thought. But the boy was innocent and young. Not only that, he was usually bright and positive. Like his mother.

A wife. Two kids. All together for breakfast. Everyday. So this was what his life turned out to be. His heart felt warm each morning when he woke up to this.

"Hey, otouchan, stop standing! Get over here or we're going to eat all the eggs before you do!" Yuriko exclaimed. Sasuke nodded, taking a seat at the end of the table. Sou's fort of chopsticks immediately fell. He was in horror.

"Ack! My fort! It's all your fault, otouchan!" Sou pouted, glaring at his father. Sasuke chuckled. His son could not glare. It was the kind of glare that would make someone laugh. His son was way too innocent and happy for that.

Then Sou gasped. "Ah! Uncle Naruto forget to take us to them!"

Sakura glanced at her son, confused. "Who's them?"

"Raven and Flower! From the tale!"

Sakura turned around, unsure of what her son was talking about. "Who are Raven and Flower?"

"Sou, you're so stupid! You haven't met them yet?!" Yuriko scowled. Sasuke couldn't help but noticed she scowled just like him. Sou shook his head.

"They're right here!"

Sou opened his mouth wide. "_Really_?" Yuriko nodded. Then, her brother got off the chair and started running away, to Sakura's confusion.

"Sou, what are you doing?! Breakfast is ready!"

"But I wanna find Raven and Flower! They're probably hiding in the attic!" Sou exclaimed as he started running up the stairs. Sakura took off her apron and was about to follow her until Sasuke stopped her with his hand. He shook his head. Sakura looked at him with uneasiness.

"Sasuke-kun..."

"Let him be. He's still a boy."

Sakura sighed. She smiled weakly. Both knew came with a conclusion: Uchiha Sousuke had to stop hanging out with the Hokage. Sakura placed four plates of eggs on the table. She wiped her hands with a napkin and excused herself to the bathroom. Now, only the father and daughter were left at the moment. Sasuke glanced at his daughter.

"Are you ashamed of me?"

"I was."

"Hn."

"You were a butthead in that tale, otouchan."

"That's a lesson for you to not marry one."

"Then why did okaachan decide to marry you anyway?"

Sasuke smirked. His daughter was good at wordplay.

"I feel even better to be your daughter now, otouchan."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

He was met with a bright smile.

"Because you and okaachan make each other the happiest people in the world."

Sasuke stared at his daughter. Then, with two fingers, he flickered her forehead. She winced in annoyance. "What was that?!"

"Please act like a girl for once."

"Ha! Beat me in a fight and I'll act like one!" God, she was even getting his arrogance. Sasuke smirked.

"It's on."

"RAVEN?! FLOWER?! WHERE ARE YOU?! COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE!" They heard Sou scream loudly. "I HAVE EGGS!"

Looking at the life he had around him, one he was lucky to survive to, Sasuke laughed.

The End

* * *

Okay, this is really sad. I actually finished this. Yes, it didn't come out as I wanted it to, but it was still great, if not better. Thank you to all who read this story. I know there are not many reviews, but I enjoy looking forward to seeing new ones. Reviews actually do make my day cause I work hard on trying to tell this story. Sometimes I just sit here in front of the computer screen, knowing how the story goes, yet unsure of how to write it. I have trouble trying to translate the images and story in my mind to the words on the screen. That's why when I read the story, it doesn't really have everything I had in my mind, but I don't know how to write it. That is what I need to improve. Either way, just thank you to you readers and reviewers. I appreciate for just reading it. I feel accomplished now.

For those who have stayed with me since my very first story, thank you too! My writing skills are not the best yet, but I can tell they are improving. Yes, i make stupid grammar and spelling mistakes, but hopefully, that did not destroy my story telling. Don't expect another story for me for quite a long time. It's not that I don't have any story ideas. I have like, A LOT. It's just that in my high school, track and field season is gonna start soon and I'm on it. It's going to take up a lot of time and plus, my classes in school. I have so much testing this year that I'm not going to find time to write a story now. Hopefully by summer, I will have a new story, though I am unsure of what's it going to be about. After reading the latest chapters in Naruto when Sasuke attempts to kill Sakura and laughs like a crazy maniac, I need to face reality that there's a high chance SasuSaku won't happen (cuz seriously, SASUKE IS LIKE A DUNHEAD, EVIL, TRYING TO KILL SAKURA!) But I still have hope. I really want him to end up with her. If Sasuke stays evil for the rest of the series, I won't be surprised if he dies cause he is too damn evil. But if he does survive and turns around for the good, I hope he gets with Sakura :)

Anyway goodbye for now, readers. I hope this story was a source of laughter and smiles for you. Your reviews were to me.


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